---Det talte ord gælder---
Your Royal Highness, your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.
For those of you who had hoped to see our minister of Economic and business affairs Brian Mikkelsen, I’m sorry to disappoint you.
At this moment, he is tied up in the annual budget negotiations.
And if you have ever seen the BBC-series Yes minister, you know that the Treasury doesn’t believe in giving money back.
So as a genuine comeback kid, I enter this stage for the second time today.
But frankly the way I see it, my message is important enough to be repeated.
1. However, we need
“more than words” as the band ‘Extreme’ sang to the sound of melting teenage hearts some years back,
2. What we need is
“a little less conversation; a little more action” as Elvis sang
way back,
Because the ice glaciers are still melting as we speak.
3. And we need to do it by acting
“in the fierce urgency of now” as Dr. King once said in his famous speech.
Because the fight against climate change is a battle we cannot afford to lose.
It is a task we can not afford to fail.
I quoted Einstein earlier today to emphasise that we need a change of scope to combat climate change.
Hence, we need to stick to our new course on energy policy –efficiency, renewables and new technologies.
The biggest financial and economic crisis in decades is receding, but the challenges we face are still here.
We’re confronted with high unemployment figures, deficits and low growth.
At the same time, environmental and climate concerns are becoming an increasingly important component of economic policy.
How do we tackle these challenges?
By acting now.
And by realizing that “growth” can ─ and should ─ go hand-in-hand with “green”.
Today has taught us three lessons:
First of all, that political leaders play a key role in setting the green growth agenda. They create the political opportunities and framework necessary for accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy.
The financial and economic crisis has in fact provided governments with an excellent opportunity to introduce economic incentives to promote green innovation and growth.
I am delighted to see that so many governments around the world have already adopted green growth strategies.
An example is the Republic of Korea, which has set remarkable goals with its visionary “Low-carbon, Green Growth” Law.
Second, today’s conference has shown us that business will be a key driver in shaping global green growth.
The corporate world sees growing demand for green products and solutions, and the commercial opportunities are evident.
The ability of business and consumers to innovate can reduce the cost of future environmental policy.
This, however, requires long-term coordinated focus on developing sustainable technologies, green products and services – and as I highlighted earlier today, a global framework.
Third, today has strongly underlined the need for substantial private capital to boost economic activity and innovation.
And to create sustainable growth and new green jobs.
While investments in clean technology have increased by 300 percent over the last decade, the key to future success is to keep private capital flowing.
We must step up our efforts to nurture green investments, share best practices and break down barriers for sustainable solutions.
This is not a walk in the park.
We’re talking about the biggest transformation of our economies since the industrial revolution.
That is why we need more, not less, international cooperation.
No man - or woman; that was the minister for Gender Equality speaking - is an island – and no country is an energy island.
And that is why no country can counter the negative effects of a global economic crisis by acting on its own.
No, we must act together.
What we need is a global green growth strategy that emphasizes energy- and resource-efficient technologies.
And our success depends on our ambitions and our ability to join forces.
As mentioned by the Prime Minister this morning, the Danish government, in co-operation with the Climate Consortium Denmark, will head a Global Green Growth initiative in Denmark next year.
I welcome you all to join us in this initiative.
Let us develop a global green growth economy and a healthier climate for future generations.
And let us remember the words of President Kennedy – who by the way won the presidential election on exactly this date fifty years ago:
“our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet.
We all breathe the same air.
We all cherish our children's future”.
Thank you.