Opening speech at  Klima X

Nobel Laureate Dr. Pachauri, ladies and gentlemen, school children.

I am delighted to be here today to open this spectacular exhibition about climate change.

I am particularly honoured to be standing next to Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, who together with fellow Nobel Laureate Al Gore has done more than anybody else to raise awareness about climate change, its causes, its effects and, let us not forget, its solutions.

Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time.

It threatens the environment.

It threatens international peace and security.

It threatens prosperity and development.

Yes, it threatens our whole way of life.

 

For some time we have discussed causes and determined the facts of climate change.

Now it is time to start finding the solutions.

We are faced with the fact that tomorrow is today.

We are confronted with what Dr. Martin Luther King once called “the fierce urgency of now”.

Global efforts to reverse the growth of greenhouse gas emissions have to begin immediately.

That is why I am going to Bali this afternoon. To make our contribution to a new international treaty. A treaty that may reverse the threat of climate change. 

Touring this unique exhibit, you can actually feel the consequences of climate change. People from different corners of the world tell their stories of how their existence and livelihood are threatened.

That is why we must succeed and we will succeed in meeting those challenges.

Two Norwegian school children are expressing their hopes for the future. That is Klara and Christian, seventh graders at Korsvoll School. Their imagination gives me great hope for our future.

Klara writes, and I quote in Norwegian: ”Jeg har et håp, jeg har en tro, at forskning minker CO2. At nye biler finnes opp som går på brennesler og sopp og gamle karameller”.

Christian writes: ”Det var et problem, det er det ikke lenger. Vi jobbet hardt, viste at det er samarbeid vi trenger”.

In that spirit I am delighted to declare the Klima X exhibition open.

Thank you.