Minister, dear colleagues, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

I am pleased to be here with you today on the occasion of this environmental technologies seminar.

It is my first visit to Prague and it is very exciting to visit this historic city and at the same time see how history is built further as a result of your entry in the European Union.

We strongly supported the enlargement in order to build peace, security and economic progress but also to build a stronger common environment. Now we can build history together.

We will later today have bi-lateral talks to discuss how our two countries can work together to further develop European environment policies.

I greatly appreciate this opportunity to say a few words of introduction, together with my colleague, Libor Ambrozek.

As ministers for the environment, Mr Ambrozek and I are constantly struggling with some of the greatest challenges of our time: global climate change, exploitation of natural resources, health hazards, and environmental degradation.

It is only a month ago the Tsunami hit South East Asia. This horrifying human disaster deprived hundreds of thousand people of their lives and their livelihoods, it spoiled hope, the economy and environment in large areas. We are all of us concerned about the environmental aspects of the tsunami in Asia. We are now struggling with how to build more resilient societies that can be less sensitive to natural catastrophes and hazards.

This is an urgent and difficult task. Environmental problems are often like this, fuelling despair but also demanding and feeding problem solving throw of ingenuity and inventiveness. Our environmental technologies can also make a change in situations like this.

We know from history that people that respond to challenges, can make a huge difference to humankind, and they can also, by way of example, foster a discourse of hope and confidence.

To realize the extreme dangers and challenges of our time, without losing hope, is to believe in the future, and in future generations. To solve problems is to make progress. With this in mind, environmental challenges can be viewed as windows of opportunity.

Urbanization and rapid economic growth are the major environmental challenges of our time. Recent studies on demography and economic growth suggest that there is a tremendous potential for growth in large regions of the world, most clearly in South Asia and Latin America.

Approximately 50 percent of the present world population live in cities,
and within a few decades, we can expect that this figure will approach 70 percent.

The environmental impacts of this continued growth and urbanization will as far as we can say today be enormous. Mega cities will not only multiply in the future. The inhabitants of the worlds growing cities will produce more CO2 emissions, more waste and more air and water pollution than ever before.
This is the broader global setting of todays seminar.

In my view, it is imperative indeed that we begin to specify strategies today that are capable of integrating environmental concerns into future processes of rapid growth and urbanization. This is essential to do here in Europe, as well as in other parts of the world.

We know from experience, in Europe and elsewhere, that economic growth does not automatically lead to investments in order to solve environmental problems. On the contrary, environmental improvements are typically a consequence of specific environmental policies. Policymaking matters.

To me, it is clear that the promotion of environmental technologies can play an important part in a broader policy agenda to address the global challenges of growth and urbanization. Environmental technologies can help us to de-couple economic growth from environmental degradation. Environmental technologies are key to any attempt to reconcile continued economic growth with sustainable development.

It is also clear that the industrial part of the world, and the EU in particular, must show leadership when it comes to sharing best practices and promoting programmes of assistance and collaboration. In order to promote the progress of environmental technologies worldwide, it matters what we do at home.
And we can also make a difference in the context of multilateral co-operation.

The purpose of todays seminar is to open up a discussion on environmental technologies relevant for urban and rural development.

Several Swedish companies that are active in environmental technologi projects will contribute with interventions on specific topics, such as water-, air - and waste management.

I do hope that this seminar will offer plenty of opportunities to share experiences and to discuss possible areas of co-operation between us.

In Sweden we have worked for many years to improve our policies on urban planning, environmental technologies and sustainable development.
Nevertheless, we have still a long way to go and a lot to learn. For example, a major challenge for Sweden today is to modernize public transportation systems and to improve energy efficiency in buildings. In spite of great efforts to reduce Swedish CO2 emissions, much more must be done.

What then are the lessons learnt over the years? One important lesson learnt is that the business community, if properly encouraged, can play a constructive role in promoting environmental innovation and technological change. There are many passionate corporate environmentalists out there, and without their support, progress will be significantly slower.

I am proud to say, that many Swedish companies today view environmental considerations as a challenge rather than as a restriction. Several companies are active in integrating environmental concerns in their processes and products. Furthermore, integration of environmental and ethical aspects in the core business has provided many companies with clear comparative advantages.

In my view, the role of the corporate sector is particularly important in relation to environmental technologies, the topic of todays seminar. Swedish companies have shown that environmental technology projects often result in win-win situations for the companies involved on the one hand, and of course for the environment on the other.

In short: If we want to support environmental policies that are conducive to economic growth and development, strong support to the business sector in their efforts to promote environmental technologies is no doubt a successful route forwards.

The demand for environmental technologies is growing today, not least in Central and Eastern Europe. Swedish companies, of which some are represented here today, have therefore been active in launching environmental technologies in several accession countries.

To me, these pioneering environmental technology projects constitute an important first step in developing closer economic and political ties between Sweden and the new EU member states.

In particular, we look forward to continued co-operation with The Czech Republic in the years to come. We expect The Czech Republic to be one of the fastest growing economies in the extended Europe, and, in consequence, we are convinced that The Czech Republic will play a key role in securing environmental protection and sustainability as an integrated aspect of European growth and competitiveness.

How can Sweden and The Czech Republic co-operate on these matters in the future? Besides commercial partnerships, I hope for a continued political dialogue within the European Union framework, in particular as regards environmental technologies. And I am sure that we will succeed in this.

Sweden is committed when it comes to implement the actions set out in the European Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP). I know that the Czech Republic shares the same interest in further promoting technologies that will bring about a clean environment.

Investments in these new technologies are essential in the process towards a continuous improvement of the environment. We need to work together in the exchange of experiences and in developing and promoting the uptake of the best technologies available.

Strategies and policies will not do the job by itself. Co-operation with business and between business partners is a prerequisite for progress. The Swedish success when it comes to implementing strict environmental regulations is found in a long tradition of close co-operation between relevant stakeholders, in which a big portion of the industry have shown leadership when it comes to giving technical solution to environmental problems.

For this reason I am especially grateful to be able to bring with me to the Czech Republic a Swedish business delegation representing a wide range of environmental technology solutions. I am sure that they will present you with many interesting applications and system solutions which will bring great benefit for the environment.

*****

To conclude, the Swedish government would be pleased if you regard this seminar as a starting point for further dialogue and an intensified co-operation between our countries at all levels.

We share a common commitment to a progressive political agenda, globally and within the European Union. Therefore, I look forward to continued co-operation, both bilaterally and within the Europeans Union framework.

I truly feel that we are among friends and I look forward to an interesting seminar this afternoon.

Thank you!