Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great opportunity for me to address the people and companies that are deeply involved in developing and building our future energy system. With the latest innovations in wind power technology we are taking important steps towards a greener and more sustainable future.

While we are still trying to cope with the global financial crisis, we also face severe challenges arising from climate change and the impact it will have on the foundations of our world economy.

We have come to realize that a continuation of the old ways will limit economic growth and have a negative effect on our ability to maintain and improve our living standard.

Climate change, scarcity of resources and a continuous growth in the world population, make it unsustainable to continue business as usual. In fact, according to UN statistics world citizen number 7 billion was born not long ago, and by the year 2050 we will be more than 9 billion people in the world.

We must acknowledge that a continuation of past decades’ economic growth based on industrial output and fossil fuels is not smart. We need change. We need innovation. We need smart growth based on knowledge and insight and less on burning fossil energy.

We need to work with our industries and businesses to find smart solutions, develop new, regulatory frameworks and make research and development a priority.

The history of the Danish wind sector shows that it is possible. The Danish wind hub is a strong driver when it comes to technological innovations. Wind power is a key technology helping Denmark work towards independency from fossil fuels, and we are gradually reducing our dependency on oil, gas, and coal. The goal is for Denmark to be completely independent of fossil fuels in 2050.

To achieve this goal the public and the private sectors must join forces to promote alternatives. With the latest technologies available, it is up the governments and businesses to convert research and development into sustainable solutions.

Denmark is among the most energy efficient countries in the world. Since 1980, our economy has grown by almost 80 percent without any increase in energy consumption. Denmark is also a leader in the use of renewable energy – with wind energy constituting more than 25 percent of electricity consumption. I am told we are going to almost double the share by 2020. I think that is a promising start towards a sustainable future.

The green sector is not only important when it comes to securing environmental sustainability, it is also a business which can create new jobs. The Danish wind industry alone has so far created 25.000 Danish jobs, and the latest numbers show that the sector is generating approximately 8% of our total exports.  

In conclusion, focusing on the role of wind power in the global transition to a more sustainable future makes good sense from both an environmental and an economic perspective.

I hope you will all get an overview of the future possibilities within the field of wind energy when visiting the different stands at this convention.

Thank you!