Connie Hedegaard, Climate Action (Denmark, Christian Democrat)
Background
Connie Hedegaard entered politics at the age of 23 when she was elected to the Danish parliament as a member of the Conservative Christian Democrat. After a stint in journalism (1990-2004) where she worked for several print and TV outlets, Hedegaard returned to politics in 2004 as the Danish Minister for Environment. She later became Minister for Nordic Cooperation. In 2007, the then Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen appointed Hedegaard to the post of climate and energy minister. It was in this capacity that Hedegaard hosted the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) in December 2009.
Stated objectives on taking office
- To continue to push other countries to set more ambitious targets to tackle climate change;
- To increase the emission reduction target from 20% to 30% by 2020 from 1990 levels;
- To adopt regulatory measures necessary for the implementation of the revised Emission Trading System directive;
- To reduce emissions from transport and promote low-carbon and green technologies.
Members of the Cabinet
Peter VIS, Head of Cabinet
Michael STARBAEK CHRISTENSEN, Deputy Head of Cabinet
Anne BERGENFELT, Adviser, Climate Action negotiations, International Transport, European Environment Agency and Green NGOs
Niels LADEFOGED, Personal assistant
Caroline LAMBERT, Member, Financial and Budgetary Issues Related to Climate Action Adaptation
Jurgen MULLER, Member, Inter-institutional Relations, Monitoring of EU GHG emissions
Lukasz KOLINSKI, Member, Mainstreaming Climate Action and EU 2020 Strategy
Main actions to date
- Presenting a strategy to “help maintain the momentum of global efforts to tackle climate change”. Through this the EU would swiftly begin implementing the Copenhagen Accord and continue to push for a robust and legally binding agreement replacing Kyoto;
- Launching a consultation with the international partners to explore specific action-oriented decisions that can be taken at the next round of negotiations in Cancun;
- Assessing the costs of a possible change of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 from 20% to 30%. A policy paper on this issue was presented at the end of May.
What to expect
Following a convincing performance during her hearing in the European Parliament in January, Commissioner Hedegaard has one of the most challenging portfolios in the new Commission due to its horizontal nature as well as the impact of climate change on growth, competitiveness, jobs and energy security. In this regard, Hedegaard will have to work closely with Commissioner for Energy Günter Oettinger and the Directorate-General for Energy to address the priorities and challenges of her portfolio. One of Hedegaard’s primary ambitions is to see Europe become the most climate friendly region in the world by the end of her five-year mandate. Naturally, the focus in the coming months will be the international climate talks. Hedegaard strongly believes that it is important to have a set of concrete decisions coming out of the climate meetings in Cancun in November. The discussions of a 30% target and the need for the EU to speed up efforts to retain its leadership will be fundamental as industry and environmentalists become increasingly vocal in expressing their views. In addition, Hedegaard will also face the challenge of transforming the EU into a low-carbon economy, with a policy initiative on this matter expected in the coming months.