The EU must ‘pool efforts and show leadership’, in order to ensure a global climate deal is reached in Copenhagen at the end of the year, according to Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, naming it one of three priorities for Sweden’s Presidency along with ensuring a smooth transition to the Lisbon Treaty, and overcoming the economic crisis.

In addition to helping the EU save energy and money by tackling climate change, effective action would also reduce energy dependence and improve energy security noted the Swedish PM. He was speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg last week, where he was outlining his government’s plans for the rotating six month Presidency.

In terms of achieving an effective climate deal, he noted that the main task facing the EU over the coming months, would be to gain the support of developing countries, highlighting the need for investment and technology transfer from richer countries. This would pave the way for these countries to make the necessary commitments themselves, and ensure the global problem is addressed on a global scale.

His views were shared by Commission President José Manuel Barroso, who backed the three priorities set out by Mr Reinfelt. In the lead up to the Copenhagen summit, he noted it would be crucial to ensure the EU’s legally binding climate and energy targets were matched elsewhere, adding that this would imply helping developing countries (through technology transfers and investment) to achieve such goals.

Group leaders also reacted to Mr Reinfelts speech, with EPP-ED MEP Joseph Daul urging Sweden to be more ambitious in this respect and that it would have to go ‘further and faster’.