State visit to Australia: Defence Industry Seminar

Excellencies,
ladies and gentlemen.

I am very pleased to have the opportunity to make some closing remarks at the end of what I understand has been a very interesting day.

Access to energy is essential for economic development and social welfare. The world needs more energy, but at the same time we must find ways of moderating climate change.

As major gas exporters, both Australia and Norway are contributing significantly to short-term reductions in carbon emissions because gas is replacing more polluting energy sources.

Oil and gas companies and national authorities in producer countries share the responsibility for ensuring that the industry meets high environmental standards. I can assure you that the Norwegian oil and gas industry has to meet very strict legislation on health, safety and the environment.

To extract natural resources in Norway, the industry has had to deal with operations in remote areas, a lack of infrastructure and production in rough weather conditions. Australia faces many of the same challenges. In the future the industry will face challenges related to rising costs, an increasing demand for energy and climate change.

With more than forty years of experience on the Norwegian continental shelf, the Norwegian service and supply industry has become well known worldwide for state-of-the-art technology and the ability to deal with complex challenges. This has made the industry competitive internationally.

More than 40 Norwegian companies associated with the oil and gas sector are established in Perth today. I am sure that the Norwegian oil and gas industry will continue to make an impact in the city in the future and hope that this innovative industry will be able to turn the challenges it is facing into opportunities.

Thank you.