Energy perspectives related to climate issues

Good morning, ministers, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen:

It is a pleasure for me to address you to discuss energy perspectives related to climate issues.
- I very much endorse the confirmation of energy and climate change as a crucial issue also in the BASREC context. BASREC is a unique setting which should address energy perspectives related to climate change in a proactive way.

Climate change is a long-term challenge.
Climate change is inseparably linked to energy. The world is increasingly on an unsustainable path in terms of the volume and character of energy consumption:

- Greenhouse gas emissions continue to grow rapidly and there are signs that the climate is changing faster than previously anticipated.

- Fossil fuels are expected to remain the dominant source of energy and account for 80 % of the world’s primary energy-mix in 2030.

We need to pursue a more sustainable development. Economic and social development is needed for a large part of the global population.

- This cannot be realised without increased use of energy and that is why we need to act now.

- Perhaps most urgent is the need to address the efforts and actions governments and the energy industry need to undertake in this respect.

Last year, there were two very promising developments regarding climate change: 
- the EU’s adoption of the climate and energy package,

- and the election of Barack Obama as US President.

Norway highly commends EU in securing the implementation of the climate and energy package – we share the overall EU ambitions!

Tackling both climate change and sustainable security of energy supply is vital to safeguard the future:
- If no new policies are introduced and if the energy mix remains the same as today, global average temperature is predicted to increase by six degrees Celsius by the end of this century. The result will be a global disaster.

- In order to prevent this, we must cut global greenhouse gas emissions by between 50 and 85% by 2050. Probably closer to 85% than 50%. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) this means that global emissions have to peak no later than 2015 and have to be reduced at least by half no later than 2050 compared to 1990 level.

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called climate change “the moral challenge of our generation“. I agree. I also believe that the developed countries have a moral responsibility to take the lead.

In the decades to come we will be challenged:
- We will have to decrease global emissions of greenhouse gases by more than 50%,

- and increase the global supply of energy by more than 50%.

- How can we fulfil this huge common task? 

I believe we need to have broad focus on the following;
- First; we must promote and contribute to funding research, innovation and implementation of all low-carbon technologies that reduce the emissions. This will require increased focus on renewable energy such as hydro power, wind power, solar and biomass, as well as energy efficiency.

- But; it also means that we have to deploy and disseminate technologies so we can produce and use fossil fuels as effectively and sustainable as possible.

- And finally; we must transfer these technologies to the developing world and enable them to leapfrog to a low-carbon economy.

We need a broad policy response that comprises both global and European climate change measures. 
- We need continued efforts on policy frameworks to promote renewable energy in electricity, heating and cooling as well as transport.

- We need a strengthening of policy efforts to promote energy efficiency.

- And, we have to recognise carbon capture and storage as one of the mitigation options that have to be pursued.

As a major exporter of fossil fuels, the threat of climate change and the increasing demand for energy represents a challenge for Norway. But it is also a global challenge, and not just for producers, but also for consumers. 

Norway bases the main part of electricity on renewable energy:
- Nearly all our electricity production stems from hydropower. 60 percent of our final energy consumption is renewable energy. This puts Norway in a unique position globally and in Europe. 

- However, we see developing environmentally friendly technologies, production and use as essential in our transition to an (even) more sustainable energy system and reduction of global CO2 emissions.

- Hence, the Norwegian government has concrete targets for new and environmentally sound energy production and energy efficiency.

The development of offshore windmills is an example of how we can bridge the gap to a low-carbon future

However, it is also important to meet the challenge of securing a sustainable future energy supply by reducing the emissions from production and use of fossil fuels. We must move from the CO2-intensive fossil fuels towards the less carbon intensive options.

- As we all know, we need to decarbonise the world’s energy production, and carbon capture and storage is a key technology in this regard.

- Norway has more than 10 years’ successful experience of offshore CO2 storage from our gas field Sleipner. 

- In May, the Norwegian Government will host a high-level conference on carbon capture and storage.

- In an energy and climate perspective, the technology offers potential to reduce CO2 emissions by 85 to 95 per cent from coal and gas fired power plants.

Securing energy supply and speeding up the transition to a low-carbon energy system call for radical action by governments and active participation in coordinated international mechanisms. It is only through extensive international cooperation that we will be able to address the huge challenges of securing energy supply and avoid climate change.

2009 is a critical year:
- We need to reach a new, more comprehensive and effective climate framework agreement in Copenhagen in December. This will not be easy. Nevertheless, we must be ambitious.

- The financial crisis must not be allowed to weaken climate policies or the outcome in Copenhagen. It is crucial that political pressure is maintained even in difficult times.

The 14th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in Poznan (Poland) was an important milestone last year.
- Nevertheless, achieving an agreement in Copenhagen will require flexibility and political leadership from all parties. And we must significantly speed up our efforts.

Thus, I very much welcome the statement in our draft-communiqué which confirms our commitment to the ongoing negotiations on a post-2012 global climate agreement.

- BASREC member countries should play an important role in ensuring a successful outcome of the climate negotiations later this year in Copenhagen.

- Preparing the statement is an important work and has to be top priority on the BASREC-agenda the next month.

- I believe that if we can agree on a statement from BASREC to COP15 it will be a significant contribution to the climate negotiations.