Danish PM calls for public-private action to enable green transition

Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen on Monday called on both the public and private sectors to collaborate on putting the world on a sustainable course.

"Partnerships between the public and private sectors should ensure financing and the implementation of the important agreements that the international community concluded in 2015: the climate agreement in Paris and the agreement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in New York," Rasmussen said at the opening of the annual Global Green Growth Forum (3GF) on here.

He also referred to the Danish climate financing fund as an example, saying the fund had so far mobilized 200 million U.S. dollars for projects, of which two-thirds come from private investors such as pension funds. The ultimate goal is 1.5 billion U.S. dollars.

"It will require new ideas to meet the goal, and we should go down unknown paths. But it is possible, as we have very useful tools available to us," the prime minister said.

The two-day event focuses on three areas in particular: the green transition of energy systems, cities as drivers of green growth, and optimizing the use of natural resources.

According to the organizer, more than 250 government and business leaders from all over the world are attending the event, and more than 30 public-private partnerships will be developing solutions that contribute to green growth worldwide.

Moreover, several new initiatives originated in 3GF's public-private partnerships, such as a new initiative to combat climate change and an alliance working to reduce barriers to trade in green energy.

3GF is a partnership initiated in 2011 by the governments of Denmark, Mexico and South Korea, and was joined later by the governments of China, Kenya, Qatar and Ethiopia. Vietnam and Chile are scheduled to join as official 3GF partner countries in 2016. Endit