Statoil execs urge action at Copenhagen

OSLO, Norway, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Industrial and world leaders must use their collective will to move forward to tackle climate change at an energy summit in Denmark, Statoil officials said.

Copenhagen, Denmark, hosts an international conference beginning Dec. 7 that aims to find a replacement to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

Helge Lund, chief executive at Norwegian energy giant Statoil, told delegates at the company's autumn summit in Oslo that he was committed to pairing responsible use of fossil fuels with renewable energy resources.

"The world cannot choose today between fossil fuels and renewable energy -- we need both," he said. "A wide range of initiatives is required; there is no silver bullet here."

He pointed to a $1.78 billion Statoil wind farm off the coast of England as evidence of the move by Statoil to embrace alternative energy.

Lund said he expects world and industrial leaders to come together at Copenhagen to embrace the shared ambition needed for energy reform.

"I believe that industry players and governments share an agenda and have a common will to grip the climate and energy challenges facing the world," he said.