As you know, Sweden is holding the EU presidency during the second half of 2009. Among the priorities during these six months the presidency has identified one main challenge dominating the agenda:
We will put all possible emphasis on dealing with the growing problems of climate change and the environment. The EU should play a leading role at the important UN conference on Climate change in Copenhagen in December, and beyond.
I’m sure that we all can agree on that climate change is one of the most important issues that we face today. In the last couple of decades we have witnessed violent fires ravaging California, Australia and Greece, great rivers running dry in China, hurricanes striking countries around the Caribbean, Mexico Gulf and South China Sea, and severe floods inundating countries such as The Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and Hungary. The polar cap is melting at an unprecedented speed, creating risks that the water level of the oceans will raise dramatically. Most of these problems have also struck Turkey lately. Fires have caused severe problems in western Turkey, Central Anatolia has seen historically dry winters, while floods tragically have taken lives and caused severe material damages in Istanbul recently and in other parts of Northern Turkey.
So climate change is already with us causing a lot of damage. That’s why the Swedish government is stressing the need for an international post-Kyoto agreement already at the Copenhagen Conference late this autumn.
Sweden is well-known for its progressive environmental policies since many decades. It is not a coincidence that the first UN conference on environment was held in Stockholm 1972. And Sweden is also one of the front-runner countries within EU when it comes to move the ambitions further in order to guarantee good living conditions for the present and not the least the coming generations of our planet.
There is a saying emanating from the second UN conference held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992:THINK GLOBALLY – ACT LOCALLY!I think many of you are aware of this through the follow-up meeting in Istanbul 1996 of the Rio-meeting, and through the work in your Metropolitan municipalities with Agenda 21 issues.
We must naturally develop environmental agreements and regulations internationally and nationally – but concrete actions must also be taken locally. And with “locally” I mean municipalities, as well as private companies, NGO:s, and not the least every one of us citizens – contributing to energy saving through actions in homes and using public transport means instead of private cars, avoiding behaviour that can pollute the environment through using it for dumping of goods or littering , supporting sorting of waste, etc.I believe most people want to take a responsibility for the environment they live in, and the environment they leave to their children and grand-children.
He or she must be supported through an active, practical policy from local and central authorities. It has to be simple to recycle, for example. The bins must be close to your home. And it must be easy and safe to use public transport or your bicycle. Otherwise, the car will be your first choice. In these areas, the municipalities have to lead through careful planning and management.
By taking a systems perspective on the whole urban area, and integrating different parts for achieving sustainable solutions, good results can be achieved.Sorted household waste can be used for district heating and electricity production in combined heat and power plants. Wastewater sludge can be converted into biogas as fuel for public transportation vehicles.
The financial crisis has resulted in less energy consumption. I think most of us these days give an extra thought to that turned-on lamp, air-conditioner or the TV-set on eternal stand by.
The municipalities in Sweden have a very central role and developed tools for implementing national and EU policies on environment. This is described in a booklet that has been produced for this and six other conferences in Turkey during the Swedish EU presidency this autumn. The booklet – printed in Turkish – is available for you to get during this conference after the lunch.
The booklet is for example describing – with examples – how the Swedish society is detailing the national environmental goals into regional and local ones, possible for the municipalities to implement and follow up. This is – as I recognise – a concrete example of “Think globally – act locally”.
Important areas for actions of Swedish municipalities areo to support energy management and energy saving through efficient planning, purchasing rules, energy saving in all kinds of municipal owned buildings;o develop the public transportation system;o develop monitoring and control systems, and a good dialogue with private companies concerning systems, products and services that facilitate a sustainable development of the local society;o develop education at all levels and support engagement of citizens.
I have highlighted these examples in order to clarify the central role of local actions of municipalities in implementing national and international environmental policies – even if the regulations and divisions of responsibilities between different actors in the society not always are crystal clear. With action-oriented mayors and efficient local administrations much can be done without clear regulations in laws and without violating current regulations. I am talking about positive actions to improve environment of benefit for all parties at all levels of society.
Turkey has started her journey to full membership of the EU. This is a very important decision and it will affect you politically, economically and socially. Turkey as a future member of the EU will remain Turkey, but Turkey will also be part of a larger community of nations, sharing the same norms and values – sharing the same visions.
One of EU:s visions is to be a force that is active in favour of sustainable development in the world. We strive for an ambitious European environmental policy, vital to global change.
Turkey has done important commitments to the EU reform process, not at least when it comes to the environment, for example;
-Turkey has been a part of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change since 2004. This convention is the core of international climate efforts.
-Turkey ratified the Kyoto Protocol in February this year.
And Sweden hopes to open the environment chapter at the end of the year in the EU process in order to deepen the environmental dialogue between Turkey and the EU.
The Kyoto Protocol contains commitments for emission reductions until the end of 2012. In December in Copenhagen decisions will be taken on new commitments for the period after 2012. The EU will assume global leadership of the climate issue. The task of the Presidency, together with the EU states and other parties is to work for the adoption of a new climate agreement. The agreement should include all the countries of the world, reduce emissions so that the ”two degrees” goal is within reach, and create the conditions for sustainable economic development.
It is crucial that we make every effort to achieve a comprehensive global agreement in Copenhagen. Failure to agree would put the whole world in a dangerous situation. Science tells us that action is needed now. We urgently need an ambitious agreement establishing a solid climate change regime that would enable all to seize the opportunities of low carbon economy and develop early and low cost adaptation measures to face unavoidable climate change.
The EU has been and remains proactive in climate efforts ahead of the meeting in Copenhagen. During the French Presidency, an ambitious legislative package on how the EU itself is to meet the climate threat was adopted. The EU has agreed that it will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 30 per cent by 2020 compared with 1990 levels if other industrialised countries make similar commitments. Otherwise the EU will unilaterally reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 compared with 1990. At the same time it is clear that the EU, which accounts for 14 per cent of worldwide emissions, can not counteract climate change on its own. It is therefore important that a new global agreement is put in place.
Turkey has an important role to play in this discussion. What Turkey thinks is important in Europe, in the Middle East and in Central Asia. I’m sure that not only Sweden but all EU-countries would deeply appreciate if the Turkish government could support the EU in getting a clear and ambitious international agreement in Copenhagen . By doing so, Turkey would not only help the EU. More important, Turkey would also help the Turkish people by tackling the problems that global warming is causing in this country. Most important of all, Turkey would give a positive contribution to the solution of one of the biggest issues of our time. Today you will discuss environment-related problems in your municipality with experts and the idea is to keep the discussions on a concrete and practical level. And such discussions of what is needed for improvement of the local environment are actually the essence of concretizing national and international environmental agreements and policies for local implementation actions.
You are the doers so to speak – the ones that will make flesh and bodies of the international skeletons. You are the ones that together with all other stakeholders in the local society have the tools to make our common visions and dreams of a sustainable future society a reality.
You will also during this afternoon have opportunities to study and discuss some examples on Swedish technical solutions which we are very proud of. Your efforts in finding good environmental solutions on different problems are also an absolute central part in Turkey’s further steps closer to a EU membership.
Thank you