Swedish PM calls for ‘green industrial revolution’

Sweden Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (pictured above in Washington in March 2015) told the UN climate change conference that it's up to richer nations to lead the way and show solidarity. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Sweden Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (pictured above in Washington in March 2015) told the UN climate change conference that it’s up to richer nations to lead the way and show solidarity. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
A green industry can bring about massive change, said Prime Minister Stefan Löfven when he addressed world leaders at the UN climate conference in Paris Monday afternoon.

Prime Minister Löfven began his speech by conveying his condolences to the victims of the terrorist attack in Paris two weeks ago and said that Sweden stands by France in the fight against terrorism.

Löfven then moved on to talk about Sweden’s goal of becoming one of the first nations to be completely fossil fuel-free and said that greener industry and smart technology are both key in accomplishing that goal.

“Industry can bring about change, massively and fast. We are gathered here today to accelerate a new, green, industrial revolution that will be ever as transformative as the one 250 years ago,” Löfven said.

He said that this change will be guided by innovations and said that inventions like solar panels and technology that enables us to store energy could be the spinning jenny’s of our time.

Richer nations must ‘lead the way’

Sweden’s prime minister also said that it is up to richer nations to lead the way and show solidarity.

“Being a fairly rich country, we have a head start, and consequently it is our duty to support those countries who did not cause the emissions but are most vulnerable to their effects,” Löfven said.

Löfven pledged that Sweden will give SEK 150 million to the UN adaptation fund, and 100 million to the fund for the least developed countries, in addition to the SEK 4 billion that the country has already given to the green climate fund.

“Sweden is here to enter into an ambitious, fair and durable agreement. Our main priority is, of course, to keep the effects of global warming as far below 2 degrees Celsius as possible,” Löfven concluded his speech.

Related stories from around the North:

Canada: COP21 – View from Nunavut, Canada, Eye on the Arctic

Finland:  Finland at COP21: ‘Small steps will no longer do’, Yle News

Germany:  Energy giant sued for climate change, Deutsche Welle

Norway:  Arctic residents in hot water, Deutsche Welle’s Iceblogger

Sweden:  Phasing out fossil-fuel dependent vehicles in Sweden, Radio Sweden

United States:  Cleaner atmosphere means more Arctic ice melt: study, Alaska Dispatch News

 

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