Nuuk, 16 September 2024
Keynote speech by EU Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen at the University of Greenland
Dear Dean,
Esteemed faculty,
Dear students,
I am very happy to address you this morning. Here at the University of Greenland, you are committed to shaping the Arctic through research and innovation. And you have embarked on a mission to bridge the university world with the business community and the public sector. These goals align closely with those of the EU – particularly when it comes to International Partnerships.
In today’s hyperconnected world, no country exists in isolation. Together, we face multiple crises. Climate change is our biggest existential threat. The pandemic reversed years of development in many sectors. Conflicts shadow regional development and have global impacts as well. Our trade links and financial markets are deeply integrated.
Russia’s war of aggression sent shockwaves globally. The interplay of crises is poisonous. As always, the most vulnerable are hit the hardest and inequality is on the rise.
As you know, these crises are not isolated. Instead, they occur against a backdrop of long-term change and challenges. Global demographics continue to shift: In 1990, Europe was 25% of the world population – today, it is less than 10%.
New manufacturing and economic centres have emerged. Digitalisation is racing forward, but so are the divides it creates.
During the Cold War, the world was split in two. By contrast, today we are living in a more complex world. The new international relations paradigm is multipolar. New global powers are emerging, or re-emerging. Today’s world is both hypercompetitive and hyperconnected. Supply chains can be easily disrupted or weaponised.
Russia, China, and others seek to extend their influence, pushing alternative governance models with them. In the new international relations paradigm, geopolitics and geoeconomics have become intertwined.
In this context, how can we achieve a more sustainable future? Europe’s answer to this paradigm shift is our Global Gateway investment strategy, which seeks to boost resilience for the EU and partner countries alike.
Launched by President von der Leyen in 2021, Global Gateway supports smart, clean, and secure links in the digital, energy, and transport sectors. And it helps strengthen health, education, and research systems across the world.
To increase impact, we deploy a collective approach called Team Europe. It not only brings together the resources and expertise of the EU institutions, but also its 27 Member States, development finance institutions, and the private sector. We also use a mixture of grants, concessional loans, and guarantees to attract resources to projects with transformative potential.
Now, the real question, of course, is: ‘What does Global Gateway mean in practice?’ This brings me to the partnership between Greenland and the EU.
Recently, President von der Leyen inaugurated a new European Commission office here in Nuuk – a symbol of Europe’s commitment to long-term partnership with Greenland. While outside the EU itself, Greenland has always been part of the European family. We share history, values, and common interests. We even share part of the Arctic – and being from Finland – we both appreciate its beauty and uniqueness.
Like Greenland, the EU is committed to ensuring that the Arctic remains a place where the environment is protected, cultures flourish, and communities thrive. Let me give two examples of how we are deepening our collaboration through Global Gateway.
First, green growth
Greenland is especially vulnerable to the impact of climate change. But you are also uniquely equipped to fight it – to capitalise on vast natural resources and steer both the green and digital transitions. I applaud Greenland’s decision to ban offshore oil and gas exploration and exploitation in 2021. I also commend Greenland’s decision to join the Paris Agreement in 2023, and more recently, to keep the Arctic a “low tension area,” where peaceful and sustainable development can thrive.
Like Greenland, the EU remains committed to combatting climate change. With the Green Deal we made a legally binding commitment to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050, and to reduce net emissions by at least 55% from 1990 levels by the year 2030.
We cannot meet these goals alone. Europe needs alternative energy resources to support the green transition.
In March, Team Europe launched a EUR 22.5 million partnership programme with Greenland that aims to promote green growth in both our regions. And a joint EU-Greenland business mission starting in two weeks in Nuuk – focusing on strategic raw materials and renewable energy – will further underpin these efforts.
70% of Greenland’s national electricity supplies already come from hydropower. With the right investments, Greenland can become a clean energy hub, exporting the clean hydrogen Europe and other regions need.
Additionally, 25 of the 34 critical raw materials that are essential for Europe’s green transition can be found in Greenland. By joining forces, we can cultivate sustainable value chains and local value addition.
Second, education
As Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.”
As a former teacher and Minister of Finance, I have seen the difference education can make not just for individuals, but for communities and countries.
Education is my personal priority. I took the decision to increase investment in education from 7% to at least 10% of the EU’s International Partnerships budget.
I really applaud the Greenlandic efforts to enhance education. I have been told that 76% of children in Greenland attend preschool – that’s 7 percent higher than just 10 years ago. And that e-learning initiatives are taking off, which is especially important for those in hard-to-reach rural areas.
These are great achievements, and it makes me proud that we have been able to support the progress.
Our education experts engage regularly as part of the EU-Greenland policy dialogues every six months. The EU has committed over EUR 200 million towards advancing education in Greenland from 2021 to 2027.
Together, we aim to strengthen education across the spectrum of learning – not just basic education, but also higher education, research, and vocational training. Going forward, our partnership will support skills development in the labour force.
We will also invest in teacher quality. Behind every good student is a good teacher. Being a successful teacher requires continuous professional development and training, including in critical areas such as digital literacy.
Through collaboration, we can attract more young people to the profession and empower them with the skills Greenland seeks. Crucially, we will also take measures to support students and empower youth more broadly.
As a former youth advocate, I have always recognised the importance of giving young people a voice. This is why I launched the first EU Youth Action Plan for External Action. And I am happy to say that my youth adviser for 2024 is from Greenland – Naja-Theresia Høegh.
The EU has made a special commitment to support youth in the Arctic. We launched the EU-Arctic Youth Dialogues here in Nuuk in 2023. Today it has grown into a full-fledged project implemented through the Consortium Youth Together for Arctic Futures.
Dear Friends,
To conclude, we are more than halfway to 2030, and the world is off track to achieve the sustainable development goals. We need to adopt a new approach. This is the idea behind Global Gateway.
Europe is eager to strengthen ties with Greenland. Through collaboration, we can forge a fairer, greener, and more sustainable future.
As some of Greenland’s brightest students, academics, and innovators, I hope you will help lead the way.
Source – EU Commission