The Prime Minister has stressed the importance of cooperation between governments and the private sector in tackling climate change despite the current economic recession.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos this evening, the PM said that the international community could not put the issue of climate change on the back-burner. Investment in green technology and energy efficiency could, in fact, act as a spur to recovery in the global economy, he said.
The PM said:
“We cannot afford to relegate climate change to the international pending tray because of our current economic difficulties. We must use the imperative of building a low carbon economy as a route to creating jobs and growth, the path that will see us through the current downturn”.
Looking ahead to the London G20 Summit and UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen later this year, the Prime Minister called for the creation of a task force of businesses, economists and thought leaders to develop “practical recommendations for a low carbon recovery“.
Environmental industries, including renewables, nuclear energy, waste management, pollution control, and energy efficient products are worth $4 trillion and are forecast to grow by 45 per cent over the next eight years.
The PM said the UN Summit would “show the world that we have truly understood the threat we face, and whether as leaders – not just of governments, but of businesses and civil society – we have the political will and common purpose to address it.”
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