Speech at COP15

Check against delivery

Mr Chair, Ladies and gentlemen

We are now at a critical stage in the conference.

We must now all take the responsibility for reaching a successful agreement here in Copenhagen.

If we don’t succeed, the most vulnerable countries will suffer the most.

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An agreement must include ambitious global emission targets. And it must build on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

‘Differentiated’ means that rich countries must carry the main burdens.

‘Common’ means that all have to contribute.

Developing countries with large and rising emissions must commit themselves, with measurable limits to growth in their emissions.

Norway will reduce global greenhouse gas emissions with 30 % by 2020.

We will set even more ambitious climate targets – corresponding to 40 % cut in emissions – if this can contribute to agreement.

In case of an ambitious global climate agreement, Norway will be carbon neutral by 2030.

A climate regime must also provide the means to reach its goals. We need mechanisms that can provide predictable financing both in the short and the long term.

For the long term, Mexico and Norway have proposed a joint model to raise substantial and predictable climate finance. Contributions to the new Green Fund should come from different sources of financing: budget funding, international and domestic auctioning of allowances and other comparable sources.

The money should go to adaptation and result based mitigation. Adaptation should give priority to the most vulnerable and least developed countries.

We sincerely hope that our joint proposal can bridge the gap between negotiating parties.

For the short term, reduced deforestation is an important step.

Yesterday six countries, including Norway, agreed on providing 3.5 billion USD in short term financing for deforestation from 2010 - 2012.

We are also collectively committed to scaling up our financing thereafter based on results. We invite other developed countries to join us in this effort.

To save the rainforest is both important for the environment and for indigenous people around the world.

 

We need a strong agreement in Copenhagen.

We must give a clear mandate for the conclusion of the negotiations on a legally binding agreement in 2010.

We have less than 24 hours to find a solution.

We must use this historical moment for combating climate change and rise to the occasion before it is too late.