| |
|
|
|
|
|
||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
Steinmeier: Address at the Menlo Circus Club, Palo Alto, USA on August 29, 2007 Looking at these masterpieces of German engineering in the Californian sunshine reminds me of Janis Joplin who, almost forty years ago, sang: "Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz? My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends". To this very day, the German automobile industry has managed to preserve the high esteem in which German technology is held. The vehicles we have just seen are clear proof that German companies will continue to do so in the future. Here, German car manufacturers are also tapping the creative spirit of Silicon Valley. The major German automobile companies operate research laboratories here so they can spot technological innovations as quickly as possible and consider whether they can be used for vehicle development. The Californian way of life, including of course driving beautiful, sporty and technologically advanced German cars, is not California's only attraction as a business location. There are also the strict environmental regulations which make California a trendsetter for private transport. The tough emissions rules in California pose a major challenge to engineering. But it's a challenge we are rising to in Germany. I fully expect that the strict environmental regulations that California has introduced, and not just for motor vehicles, will be taken up elsewhere. Accelerating this process is today one of the key tasks facing international politics. According to forecasts, global energy needs will increase by about 50% by 2030. 80% will be met by fossil fuels. The average temperature on our planet will, in the best case, increase by 1.4 degrees Celsius in the next 100 years – but it may well be 5.8 degrees Celsius. Energy and climate issues will therefore be the key topics for international politics in the twenty-first century. Indeed, they are already today a focus for transatlantic dialogue and the G8. During the German Presidency in the first half of 2007, the European Union clearly set the direction for reducing emissions harmful to the climate and environment. Now it is vital that the EU and the United States move forward with determination. Only if the EU and the United States act together do we have a real chance of convincing the world that it is high time to get serious about protecting the environment and the climate. Whether we manage to protect the climate in the twenty-first century, and just how well we do so, will depend ultimately on technical advances. Germany and California are two hi-tech locations that show what is possible today and what could be possible in the future. Scientific and technological progress and the growth of green technology around the world will make a crucial contribution to preserving our planet. For this to work, it is not enough for our governments alone to pull in one direction. Research institutes and companies from the United States and Europe, too, can learn a lot from each other and cooperate successfully. Energy efficiency, hydrogen technology, biofuels, renewable energies and clean coal technology are among the fields where we could move forward together. My colleague Condi Rice and I hosted a transatlantic CEO Forum in Washington back in March, which focused on technological cooperation, above all on energy. Further steps – at all levels – have to follow. There is perhaps no better illustration of how successful transatlantic technology cooperation can be than the amazing vehicles and exhibits we have just seen. With this in mind, I would like to thank the companies who have made this highly informative presentation possible,and wish you every success for the future.
|
|
 Newsletters
 Printer-Friendly
Page
Email This Article |
||
|
|||||
|
|||||
