COP28’s official listing claims greater than 97,000 members are attending the local weather summit in Dubai in individual.
One in every of them is Karen Ellemann, Secretary Common of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
This weekend she’s going to jet to Dubai for talks about local weather impression from meals manufacturing within the Nordic Pavilion, the place her organisation hosts over 70 occasions throughout the two week local weather summit.
”We’ve honesty in our strategy in the direction of local weather change – and quite a bit to indicate”, she advised EUobserver earlier than departing.
Nordic CO2 emissions have been diminished by 26 p.c since 1990, in line with her organisation’s current local weather report, titled Nordic Stocktake — Pathways to Local weather Neutrality.
”We’ve primarily proven progress on vitality provide and consumption as these have been the main target of a number of studies, a number of funding in analysis and improvement and many improvements. This can be a large Nordic success, because of an insistence on delivering in cooperation,” she says, including that additionally ”there are such a lot of different areas the place we’ve got not acted but”.
”The report exhibits that agriculture is one such space, the place the Nordics can enhance”, Ellemann says. She additionally mentions transport and forestry as industries with room for enchancment.
”These are the issues that aren’t so good. However being sincere about that’s good”, she provides.
Meals on the agenda
Her personal local weather awakening began at COP10 in Nagoya, Japan in 2010, which targeted on biodiversity.
”I used to be speaking to biologists and scientists who defined the red-list of threatened species. That critically began affecting my method of working within the political discipline”, she recollects.
On the time she was Denmark’s minister of setting representing the liberal get together, Venstre, which historically defends the pursuits of farmers and fishermen.
”My very own meals consumption has undoubtedly modified. I have never change into 100% vegetarian, however my consumption of meat and particularly processed meat has plummeted”, she says.
Earlier this 12 months, the sixth replace of the Nordic Diet Suggestions (NNR) was revealed, recommending to eat much less meat for the sake of well being and setting.
”To minimise environmental impression, meat consumption ought to be changed by elevated consumption of plant meals, resembling legumes and fish from sustainably managed shares,” the 391-page scientific report advises.
The suggestions kind the premise of the Nordic and Baltic state’s dietary recommendation for colleges, hospitals and aged care. It’s as much as the person Nordic governments the right way to implement — or ignore — the recommendation, however the suggestions are usually broadly carried out.
”That is additionally why I’m travelling to Dubai, the place we’ve got meals on the agenda this weekend. The Nordic diet suggestions will not be solely affecting Nordic kitchens, however hopefully the entire world”, Ellemann says.
”One factor that I’m not as happy with is my carbon footprint from travelling. I’m head of a world organisation and conferences will not be accomplished on-line on a regular basis. This 12 months Iceland has the presidency [of the Nordic Council of ministers] so I journey forwards and backwards to Reykjavik two or thrice per thirty days. That is a heavy footprint”, Ellemann says.
However different issues have modified within the Nordic headquarter within the centre of Copenhagen.
”After we organise a convention or occasion, we arrange targets and demand eco-labelled or swan-labelled companies as the next commonplace. So sure, we’re altering however we aren’t there but. However change additionally begins with consciousness, reflection and dialogue,” Ellemann says.
Cooling enterprise
Whereas the Nordic space has targeted on saving vitality in heating houses, many different elements of the world face the other downside and want cooling.
The World Cooling Watch report launched in Dubai on 5 December, displaying demand for cooling is on track to triple by 2050.
It will lead emissions from cooling to surge to six.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide equal (CO2e) in 2050, equal to greater than 10 p.c of worldwide projected emissions that 12 months.
This fast improve in cooling will pressure energy grids in lots of international locations, presenting a significant hurdle to the continuing transition from fossil fuels to renewable vitality sources, in line with the report. It is going to nevertheless additionally present enterprise alternatives.
The cooling report has Nordic fingerprints throughout, stating that monetary help got here from the Danish Worldwide Improvement Company (DANIDA), CONCITO, a Danish suppose tank, and the Clear Cooling Collaborative. It additionally incorporates trade voices, resembling from the Danish refrigeration multinational Danfoss.
”Danfoss has the potential, the information, and the flexibility to be on the scene. I would not say it’s only a Nordic model, however we’re all the time very eager on having shut cooperation with the companies, with the analysis, science and the political degree. Enterprise is absolutely serving to drive the agenda right here and Danfoss is a fantastic instance of that”, Ellemann commented.
Nordic paper tiger
When Karen Ellemann was appointed secretary normal of the Nordic cooperation in 2022, the media shortly plucked a 10-year previous newspaper op-ed from their archives.
Within the article Ellemann proposed to shut the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers and bid farewell to the Nordic ”paper tiger primary”.
”The whole worth for the 2 Nordic espresso golf equipment is slightly below 1 billion krone. That is plenty of tax-krone”, she wrote in Berlingske Tidende on 25 October 2013.
How does she see issues as we speak, heading up the identical organisation that she as soon as proposed to close down?
”After they determined to supply me this place, the ministers of Nordic cooperation naturally knew about my place again then. Learn intently, my article praised Nordic cooperation as too vital to just accept an excessive amount of shifting of papers — the numerous suggestions shifting forwards and backwards between the Nordic council’s parliamentarians and the Nordic council of ministers.”
”I’m not heading a gathering machine right here. I’m in control of a suppose tank. A suppose tank that may ship political ideas to our governments to make sure that we’re delivering the perfect accessible information and the perfect ideas on mainly all political issues, whether or not it’s setting, gender equality, schooling, tradition or different societal points”.
”I nonetheless suppose you must train the Nordic muscle and never drown it in paper processes”.