Tal
Sweden-Japan Symposium on Sustainable Urban Development, Tokyo 17 april 2008
Fredrik Reinfeldt, Statsminister

Inledningsanförande på engelska vid "Sweden-Japan Symposium on Sustainable Urban Development"

Det talade ordet gäller.

Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for inviting me to this joint symposium between Sweden and Japan on Sustainable Urban Development.

Sweden and Japan have both come a long way in building sustainable cities and sustainable transport systems, and I am convinced that this symposium will deepen the cooperation between our two countries.

How we build our cities and the way we work and live in our cities is of great importance for the future.

In 1950, about 35 per cent of the Japanese population lived in cities. Today that number has almost doubled. In fact, in 2050 an estimated 80 per cent of your population will be living in an urban environment.

The numbers are even larger if we look at the whole of East Asia. In 1950, about 15 per cent lived in cities - here the number of people living in cities is expected to have grown by 400 per cent by 2050.

Due to this rapid urbanisation and the increasing importance of cities in the global economy, the development of cities is of the utmost importance not only for the environment but also for economic, political and social reasons.

Let me expose a myth to you. Growth is not the enemy of the environment. And neither is urbanisation.

In the last sixteen years, Sweden's emissions have decreased by nine per cent while our economy has grown by forty-six per cent.

Less emissions, a larger economy.

Actually, sustainable development in cities can be an important force to promote a green, decoupled economy.

It is a fact that 75 per cent of our global energy consumption occurs in cities and that 80 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions originate from urban areas.

But that is exactly why cities and urban areas, properly managed, provide possibilities for new solutions that radically decrease emissions - based on the high population densities.

These might be zero-carbon transport systems and innovative urban infrastructure for energy, water and waste - combined through integrated planning.

In Sweden, I have recently proposed a programme for sustainable cities and communities, aiming to achieve reduced emissions and improved technology.

So knowledge and technology for sustainable urban development can be cornerstones for a new, low-carbon economy.

And sustainable urban development can be combined with trade, growth, prosperity and better quality of life globally.

During the final phase of the international negotiations on climate change in the autumn of 2009, Sweden will hold the Presidency of the European Union.

It is natural for the issue of climate change to be given the highest priority during our Presidency. A successful outcome from the UN Summit in Copenhagen is of the utmost importance.

To this end, before and during our Presidency, we will do everything possible to promote a dialogue between the parties in order to overcome the problems and tensions that exist in the negotiations.

Now the challenge ahead of us all is to develop our societies and economies in a sustainable manner that can save the earth's climate.

In short: the global agreement we will sign in 2009 should enable developing countries to make a shortcut to fossil-free, green economies that grow and flourish in a sustainable way - even in cities.

Let me take this opportunity to thank all the organisers of the symposium.

Thank you.