UN Chief Executive: Danish Companies Can Win The Jackpot When It Comes To Global Green Transition
Denmark and Danish companies are uniquely equipped to be the winner in a greener, more climate-friendly world. Such is the opinion of the head of the UN’s development organisation, UNDP.
Self-praise is a sensitive issue. So it is great that other people can point out what Denmark is good at. Achim Steiner, head of the UN development organisation, UNDP, has no problem doing so.
“You probably have a hard time celebrating it yourself. But Denmark and Danish companies are in the forefront when it comes to benefiting from green transition. Danish companies are part of the solution and have a competitive advantage,” says the UN executive, Achim Steiner. He was recently in Denmark at the DI summit, at which DI presented its 2030 plan, showing how we can deploy familiar technology to reduce CO2 emissions by 65%.
Achim Steiner believes that Denmark’s lead is the result of decades of work and political choices, in which green transition was a top priority. What is more, this was at a time when the rest of the world believed that green priorities would lead to poorer competitiveness for businesses.
“It’s interesting that Denmark is one of the richest countries in the world, and at the same time one of the countries in the world that has undergone the greatest transformation of its energy sector,” he says.
See also: DI launches new 2030-plan: We can create growth and cut Denmark’s emissions by up to 70 per cent
UN Can Create New Markets
According to Achim Steiner, Denmark’s strong green position also entails a duty, and it is also in their interests to get the rest of the world to jump on the green bandwagon. The quicker the world converts, the quicker new markets will emerge for Danish companies.
“Denmark should show the world how green transition can be implemented competitively,” he says.
According to Achim Steiner, the UNDP can also play a crucial role in green transition for the benefit of Danish companies. Every single day of the year, the UNDP helps governments create the policy framework to facilitate new, green investments and export opportunities.
“UNDP is at the centre of things when it comes to establishing future markets in which Danish companies can sell their products,” he says. “Were it not for the UN, the countries of the world would never have been united in a joint struggle to tackle climate challenges.”
See also: Mette Frederiksen invites companies to sign climate contracts
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