Brussels, 03/12/2007 (Agence Europe) - After 18 months of work which culminated in a conference held in Brussels on 27-28 November, the main message of the high-level group on competitiveness, energy and the environment (EUROPE 9141) could not be clearer: without a firm commitment on the part of industry, it will be impossible for the global economy to become a low-carbon economy. This appeal comes as part of a series of messages intended for the UN conference on climate change, to be held in Bali from 3-14 December: 1) climate change is a global problem and energy, which contributes 80% of all global emissions of greenhouse gases, requires priority attention. The EU has taken the political initiative, in its commitment to reduce its emissions by 20% by 2020, or even 30% as part of a post-Kyoto international agreement, but the actions of all of the countries with high emissions levels are anticipated in line with the principle of joint responsibility, differentiated on the basis of respective capacity; 2) the commitment of industry is vital. Companies must create more sustainable products and services and, in the production process, use low-carbon technologies and seek to achieve energy efficiency. It is up to the public authorities to create market conditions which are favourable to this; 3) the urgent need to act now, given that investment cycles are entering a phase of renewal. New investments in the provision of energy have been estimated at nearly €15,000 billion over the period 2005-2030. It will be essential to develop the global carbon market; 4) the importance of sectorial agreements by industry at international level, to encourage the distribution of technologies and best practice; 5) the need for an inclusive approach at global level to facilitate cooperation between businesses, governments and NGOs, and an international platform to promote the swifter evolution and application of productive solutions in terms of technologies, financial flows, investments and risk management (for more information, see: http: //ec.europa.eu/enterprise/environment/hlg/hlg_en.htm#rec). (E.H.)