Young reporters: An eco-efficient economy benefits all

The EU still has many obstacles to overcome before we can assume the role of world leader in the area of eco-efficient economy. On 15 October, Swedish Minister for Enterprise and Energy Maud Olofsson held a press conference on this subject, together with European Commissioner Günter Verheugen.

Photo: Gunnar Seijbold/Regeringskansliet

Maud Olofsson and Günter Verheugen.

The world is currently facing some serious crises. The global financial crisis, the climate change crisis and the imbalance in the world’s ecosystems are being spoken about widely. These challenges are at our door, and it is truly time to act. Maud Olofsson encourages us to view this as an opportunity for  to develop and to expand the European economy. During its Presidency, Sweden has taken the initiative to open discussions on an eco-efficient environment. The message from politicians and industry is clear: they all call for an ambitious energy policy.

Global ground rules
Maud Olofsson maintains that global ground rules are a fundamental requirement as the market is global. She also points out that companies today struggle with bureaucracy and that work is being done to facilitate the procedure of following global rules. Maud Olofsson believes that the informal meeting in Umeå has shown that we have a very good foundation on which to stand, but that major efforts are required to cope with this wide-ranging transition.

Vice President and Commissioner for  Enterprise and Industry, Günter Verheugen has an optimistic view of tomorrow’s. He is convinced that  will be green, eco-efficient and energy efficient in the future. Verheugen also notes that the  has a lot to do before it can catch up with Europe on this issue, and that Europe has long been encouraging the  to take a stance. He rejects the notion that greater investments in the environment by the  would be a threat. On the contrary, he believes that ”we must have equal standards the world over, but competition can only be a positive thing.”

60 per cent of today’s energy goes to waste
At the time of writing, there are seven weeks to go to the UN Climate Change Conference in . The idea is for decisions to be reached there so that an eco-efficient economy can soon be implemented. One well-known target is the reduction of emissions by 20 per cent by 2020. This target is not set only for the sake of the climate, but also for the economy. The Commissioner also notes that irrespective of what the other countries may agree on, this is something that we must do.

Sixty per cent of today’s energy is wasted so there is certainly room for improvement. An eco-efficient economy is definitely the answer to the crises that lie ahead and if this is implemented, then we have a winning concept.

Emily Ågren Ylinenjarvi, Anderstorpsskolan, Skellefteå

• Webcast: Press conference, 15 October
• Informal Meeting of Competitiveness Ministers