Danish PM: Nordics must keep up pressure on climate

"Political pressure from the Nordic countries in particular has been instrumental in pushing the climate challenge to the top of the EU's political agenda. We must continue to exert this joint Nordic pressure," the Prime Minister said.

A Danish member of the Nordic Council, Henrik Dam Kristensen (S), expressed concern that the EU has not been ambitious enough in advance of the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen and might settle for a political settlement instead of a legally-binding one.

Rasmussen stipulated said that the other Nordic countries are the most important allies in efforts to achieve an ambitious global climate agreement, and that the next important step in the process will be the meeting of the European Council on Thursday.

"It is my clear impression that world leaders share a strong desire to reach a politically binding climate agreement in Copenhagen – one that will make an impact from day one,” he added. 

Climate Conference

Kuupik Kleist, the Prime Minister of Greenland which has home role within the Kingdom of Denmark opened the conference on climate in Stockholm.

"The Arctic isn't just all ice, polar bears and glaciers. People live there too. And they need development opportunities. The issue of a new global climate agreement concerns us all, and it should be based on the principles of mutual respect for each other's circumstances, social and developmental justice and the willingness to take global responsibility," Kleist told the conference.

He also stressed that it is much easier to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from a high starting point than from a low one.

"I hope therefore that a new climate agreement will allow less developed countries to establish new industries, despite the higher emissions they will cause, and that the rest of the world will help them to do so on a sustainable basis," he added. (Source: www.norden.org)