The agreement must contain ambitious and binding measures to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and therefore put the brakes on climate change. We believe that the negotiations about a post-Kyoto agreement are the biggest challenge ever to face international diplomacy.

The Nordic countries will play an important, perhaps even crucial, role in the process. While Denmark hosts the 2009 summit, Sweden will hold the Presidency of the EU – and the Nordic Region will therefore have the attention of the world. This will present major challenges, but even greater opportunities.

Climate issues are already the highest priority in Nordic co-operation. They are the focus of the ambitious globalisation process initiated last year by the Nordic Council. This process received the strong backing of the Nordic Prime Ministers at their summer meeting this year, especially in terms of funding.

The Nordic Region must speak with one voice in the climate debate in order to be heard. Together, we can exert far more influence than we can as individual countries. The Copenhagen Summit constitutes an excellent platform for the Nordic Region to achieve the necessary results. The Nordic Council reached an important decision at its annual session in Oslo. The Nordic parliamentarians called on their governments to work more closely together on climate issues in the run-up to the Summit, and to organise round-table discussions involving prominent Nordic energy experts.

At the same time, co-operation must also be developed between Nordic and global research environments. Nordic co-operation on environmentally friendly energy solutions needs to be strengthened. The Nordic Region possesses broad expertise in this sector, and each country has its own speciality: Finland and Sweden are investing in bio-energy; Denmark in wind power; Iceland in geo-thermal energy; and Norway has made good progress in developing a method of capturing and storing carbon dioxide. Joint efforts will further improve efficiency, promote the use of sustainable energy and spread this knowledge to the rest of the world.

A prerequisite for the Nordic Region being able to adopt a leading role in the climate process is that we ourselves set a good example. We must have ambitious targets for reducing emissions, and we have to co-operate in the most important international arenas, i.e. the EU and UN.

Climate issues concern people all over the Nordic Region. According to a brand-new study conducted by the Nordic Council and the Council of Ministers, nine out of ten citizens want the Region to intensify co-operation in the run-up to the Copenhagen Climate Summit. The message from both citizens and parliamentarians is clear – now is the time for governments to live up to their demands.

It is particularly appropriate that the climate meeting is being held on Bali, a popular holiday destination beloved for its warm climate, white beaches and turquoise waters. The location serves as a reminder that if we fail to achieve an ambitious climate agreement in Copenhagen then we run the risk of this paradise being laid waste in a climatic inferno.

Just as Bali is a long way from Copenhagen, the path to a new global climate agreement is also long. However, the starting pistol has been fired, and the Nordic countries have every opportunity to set the pace.