The Party of European Socialists and its Danish member party Socialdemokratiet have stressed the importance of leading the transformation to a greener economy during a conference in Copenhagen today. Our political family wants to learn from the broad and positive experience of the host country, Denmark.  

PES President Sergei Stanishev said: “We need to switch to an entirely new economic model if we want to stop climate change and its negative effects on the environment and on our societies. We are convinced that this transition must be defined by society rather than by business alone. We are also convinced that this will result in a huge opportunity for creating cleaner economic growth and creating new green jobs, businesses and company models in a low-carbon society."

The conference – "Leading Change: European progressives for green growth and climate action" - was also attended by the Secretary General of Socialdemokratiet, Jan Juul Christensen; former UN General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft; the President of Young European Socialists Laura Slimani and by former PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen.

Stanishev said: "Climate action must not lead to deindustrialization and renunciation.  We must organise a just transition with public investments in education, research and development, with clear environmental rules that create certainty for private green investment, and stability and high standards of social protection for Europe's workforce in a changing economy. We can combine climate action with social progress."