– Many young people write to me and express concern that not enough is being done to take care of nature and our land. Young people are about to give up on adults who do not take strong enough action, and not fast enough, said King Harald in his New Year’s speech for 2023. – I share the young people’s concern and their impatience. In the final declaration from the climate summit in Dubai in December, the countries of the world committed themselves to transition away from oil and gas. – The hope is that the new goals the world’s leaders have set must be followed by action, said the king in the speech. – We now need everyone’s impatience before time runs out for us. – I cannot express this strongly enough. WATCH THE FULL NEW YEAR’S SPEECH IN THE VIDEO AT THE TOP OF THE ISSUE King Harald’s New Year’s speech was recorded before the news from Denmark that Queen Margrethe was abdicating became known. The Norwegian royal house says this evening that they have no comment on the departure. Visitors affected by extreme weather The extreme weather “Hans” hit Southern Norway in August and led to a series of landslides and floods. Around 4,000 people were evacuated from their homes. The royal couple then visited Mjøndalen in Viken to thank the volunteers who worked to prevent flood damage. – Some have lost their homes, some have lost their work, some have lost their crops. It’s equally bad for everyone. You just have to have compassion for everyone, said King Harald then. King Harald and Queen Sonja visited Mjøndalen in Viken in August. Called to light candles King Harald called in his New Year’s speech to light candles tonight. – A light for all who suffer in wars and conflicts. A light for people we miss. And a light for hope. – Hope that a better world, where we can all live in freedom and peace with each other, must be possible. The king started his New Year’s speech with a quote from a poem by Norway’s recent Nobel Prize winner in literature, Jon Fosse. The word: We The king highlighted the word “we”, which he used 34 times in the speech. – For me, there is a defiant hope in this one word: We. We are a small but spacious and beautiful word. For us, it embraces us all. – It is the opposite of us and them. The opposite of putting each other in stalls. – Together we contribute to creating a good environment at school, at the workplace and in our local environment. King Harald also urged patience in his speech. – I have lived long enough to have experienced that things take time. Both in society, between people, and in ourselves. But when it comes to taking care of nature and our soil, the last thing we need is more patience, said the king.
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The king with a clear climate appeal in the New Year’s speech – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
