UK speakers at Oslo conference on climate solutions
Baroness Anelay and Sir David King addressed a conference in Oslo about green growth and innovation for sustainable transport in cities.
State Secretary Lars Andreas Lunde, H.E. Dr Axel Berg, Kristin Skogen Lund of NHO, H.E. Mr Jean-Marc Rives, H.E. Ms Sarah Gillett, Baroness Anelay. Photo: NHO/ Bjørnar Eidsmo
Foreign Office Minister of State Baroness Anelay and the Foreign Secretary’s Special Representative for Climate Change Sir David King delivered keynote speeches at a conference on 24 November hosted by the Norwegian Confederation of Enterprise in cooperation with the British, French and German Embassies in Oslo.
The conference, En route to a Transportwende? Climate Solutions for Transportation, assembled over one hundred business leaders, policy makers, academics and urban planners from Norway, the UK, France and Germany to explore how low-carbon transport and smart cities work as engines for climate-resilient growth.
Just as Germany is undergoing an Energiewende (shift to a more sustainable energy system), Europe is facing a similar challenge to transform its transportation systems. This transition provides opportunities to create new jobs and economic growth, including design services and product innovation with export potential to keep European businesses competitive.
Baroness Anelay (right) with NHO's Kristin Skogen Lund (left) and French Ambassador H.E. Mr Jean-Marc Rives. Photo: NHO/ Bjørnar Eidsmo
In her opening remarks at the conference, Baroness Anelay said:
“We have no shortage of climate solutions - and the United Kingdom’s Government and businesses are fully behind international efforts to create the right conditions for green solutions; to develop new green technologies; and to support green investment – all of which will make a positive impact on our economic growth.”
“Low carbon transport in the UK will be underpinned by an increasingly decarbonised power sector, providing clean electricity for vehicles. The UK is working with Norway on offshore wind and electricity interconnection projects that will boost the share of renewable energy - which will power British cars of the future. This is an excellent example of how international partnerships can plan the low-carbon infrastructure that will keep Europe competitive - and provide jobs and growth for many years to come.”
Sir David King gave a keynote presentation in a panel discussion about how we will move in the cities of tomorrow. He described the work of the Future Cities Catapult based in London as a centre of global innovation in sustainable urban planning.
During the conference Baroness Anelay and Sir David met with Norwegian State Secretary for Climate and Environment, Lars Andreas Lunde, to discuss the international climate change negotiations. The UK and Norway have a shared objective to keep global warming within two degrees centigrade by reaching an ambitious climate deal in Paris next year. Accelerating clean energy technology development is a focus of UK-Norway climate cooperation. The countries are also major donors to rainforest conservation projects.