An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar has joined Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, and the Swedish Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven to announce that the three countries will be working much more closely in the future on climate change.
Speaking in Brussels ahead of today’s EU Council meeting, the leaders announced the creation of a Climate Action Forum in which Ireland, Denmark and Sweden will share ideas, information and best practice. The aim is to pool experience, offer leadership and encourage others to take action on global warming at European level.
The Forum will bring together Government Ministers, experts and officials who deal with climate action. All three countries face similar challenges from climate change, and this Forum will allow common solutions to be developed.
The idea for a Forum was first discussed during recent meetings between the Taoiseach, Prime Minister Frederiksen in Denmark and Prime Minister Stefan Löfven in Stockholm. Other member States can also choose to join.
The creation of the Forum comes in advance of today’s European Council summit in Brussels which is discussing the EU’s long-term climate change objectives.
The Taoiseach said:
Ireland has begun a journey away from fossil fuels to renewable energy, we have stopped all new exploration for oil in Irish waters and our Greenhouse gas emissions are now falling. But emissions are not falling fast enough. Not nearly fast enough. Our Climate Action Plan must take account of best practice, new developments in science, technology and society. That’s where co-operation comes in, and why this new Forum will be so important. I want to thank Prime Minister Frederiksen and Prime Minister Löfven for our very constructive discussions in October, and for joining me in this initiative.
Prime Minister Frederiksen said:
I share the Taoiseach and Prime Minister’s view that we need to strengthen shared learning on addressing climate change. The Danish parliament recently passed a new climate law which targets the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to 70% below 1990 levels by 2030, and that Denmark will be climate neutral by 2050. Delivering upon these objectives is a key priority for the period ahead.
Prime Minister Löfven said:
Sweden’s climate policy framework adopted in 2017 sets out our long-term target of zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 at the latest, after which we have committed to achieve negative net emissions. This forum will work to enhance our collective knowledge and support our approaches to delivering reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.