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"Taking responsibility for the world at large means first of all taking responsibility for oneself and for one's own world."

In other words, this means: politicians, captains of industry, media professionals and creative artists must in future act responsibly locally and at the same time think globally. This holistic way of thinking is the new and real challenge for all decision-makers in the 21st century. Financial service providers have a special responsibility in this regard.

(Greeting)

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to welcome all of you warmly to the first day of the Annual Assembly of the Club of Rome. As Prime Minister of the host country and President of the Board of the co-organizer, the LIFE Climate Foundation, I am especially pleased to be able to open this important event.

"The Limits to Growth" (((1st report of the Club of Rome in 1972))) have meanwhile become apparent everywhere: in the profit margins of the financial systems, the CO2 emissions in the atmosphere, the capacity of our traffic routes, the financial viability of retirement systems, and the ability of our societies to integrate immigrants.

This list of examples could be extended indefinitely.

Let me therefore speak clearly: acting responsibly locally and thinking globally is not simply an option. In light of the massive challenges, it is rather an absolute duty. About a year ago, I took part in the Summit on Climate Change at the United Nations in New York.

On that occasion, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and many other politicians urgently noted that the clock is at five-to-twelve for climate policy. And yet, no real breakthrough in the sense of a universally binding agreement emerged from the Climate Conference in Copenhagen three months later.

"Taking responsibility for the world at large means first of all taking responsibility for oneself and for one's own world."

The State of Liechtenstein does this. This statement has a special meaning for a bearer of responsibility in a small State. A small State literally reaches its boundaries very quickly.

If the average temperature rises too rapidly, our mountains come crashing down. If there were a chemical accident in the Rhine Valley, the entire country might be affected. If a major bank were to collapse in Switzerland, our financial centre would be hit hard by the consequences.

Last week, therefore, the Government of Liechtenstein adopted its "Agenda 2020". It provides a focus for the most important strategic challenges that the Government must solve in the medium and longer term, which means beyond the legislative term of four years.

For this purpose, the Government has defined six fields of action. One is "Strengthening the natural bases of life". Another is "Enhancing quality of life". Settlement pressure, scare resources, and environmental pollution are noticed especially vividly in a small State like Liechtenstein.

The principles of sustainable development are therefore not a pretension for us, but rather a reality that must absolutely be realized. It is not a coincidence that just a month ago, the first Liechtenstein Congress on Sustainable Development and Responsible Investing took place at our Hochschule.

What is the role of financial service providers in shaping the future? This role must primarily be redefined by the financial service providers themselves. The course of this discussion within the financial industry became apparent at the Congress on Sustainable Development.

The State, in turn, has the responsibility of establishing the framework conditions so that financial service providers can take advantage of new possibilities for sustainable investments in the future, such as through public-private partnerships.

The "Liechtenstein Initiative of the Financial Centre in Emissions Trading" (LIFE) is an example of a successful PPP. The partners of LIFE are the financial intermediaries and the general public. The initiative is a charitable foundation under Liechtenstein law. It stands for the sustainable and credible promotion of climate protection and emissions trading.

"Taking responsibility for the world at large means first of all taking responsibility for oneself and for one's own world."

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In this spirit, I wish you a fruitful and successful first day of the Assembly. I wish the members of the Club of Rome an eventful and pleasant stay in Liechtenstein.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Dr. Klaus Tschütscher
Prime Minister

Quelle: Portal of the Principality of Liechtenstein, Press Releases
Link: http://www.liechtenstein.li