The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce in New York has always been at the forefront and promoting environmental issues is nothing new to us. Already 10 years ago we hosted a significant Environmental Symposium that featured some of today’s most influential people from the business and political community.

In September of 2006, The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce in New York celebrated hundred years of promoting commerce and trade between Sweden and the United States. Yes, there was the gala dinner of the Century, and the Empire State Building was lit up in yellow and blue for the evening with H.M. King Carl Gustaf throwing the switch. There was also a full-day, high-level symposium with 350 American and Swedish politicians and captains of industry interpreting the future.

Needless to say, a key question gazing into the crystal ball was: What is going to happen with energy, its production as well as its use, in the years to come?

There were many theories and projections presented and discussed, and it was clear that this topic was at the top of everyone’s mind. One of the ideas, presented by the King of Sweden himself, proposed that this be a yearly forum. And, may we say, we took His Majesty up on his word and started to plan for a Year of Going Green. H.M. King Carl Gustaf has been invited to our New York Green Summit and has kindly accepted our invitation.

The U.S. Ambassador to Sweden, Mr. Michael Wood, is not a career diplomat but a highly successful businessman. As such, his approach to anything tends to be focused and goal-oriented.

When Mr. Wood was appointed Ambassador to Sweden in 2006, he chose to focus his energy and drive on his One Big Thing where he and his government felt they could make the strongest visible difference and where Sweden could play an active role in making that difference come about. His choice: renewable energy and alternative fuels.

If you ask Ambassador Wood, he will readily tell you that Sweden and the United States constitute a perfect match when it comes to these two issues. Swedish government policies programs have been put in place to create a reliable and sustainable energy supply with renewable energy sources. The technology goals set out by the U.S. government are a mirror of just that.

Ambassador Wood has connected Swedish innovative technology, with the possibility of impacting the energy situation globally, with venture capital from the U.S. The main purpose of the New York Green Summit is to facilitate this exchange of technology and capital.

The Ambassador of Sweden to the U.S., Jonas Hafström, positions Sweden as an emerging leader in the fight against global warming, and will continue to raise the issue during his term in Washington.

Inspired by Ambassador Wood and coming off our grand Centennial, The Year of Going Green became Our Next Big Thing. And, also for very obvious reasons, we asked Ambassador Wood and Ambassador Hafström to co-chair the event, which they both accepted.

Mark your calendar: the New York Green Summit organized by the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce in New York will take place in Manhattan on September 25, 2008.

On that day, we will bring together companies in the forefront of technology, academics at the center of groundbreaking research and investors at the helm of venture capital.

The day-long forum, preceded by a dinner the night before, will focus on generating solutions, providing opportunities, and forging new partnerships.

The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce is in a unique position to bring together leaders from a variety of key sectors. The Chamber can serve as a conduit for pooling new investment and pairing it with bright ideas, and to act as a catalyst to bring about change. In an increasingly globalized world economy, our role is to draw together the best and brightest talent from our two nations under one roof.

The New York Green Summit will serve as host to a great concentration of creativity, commitment and ability. A series of panels will consider clean power generation, sustainable development, market-based approaches to carbon reduction, and the state of the alternative energy markets. The panels will provide the opportunity for participants to learn from and debate experts in diverse topics.

For over a Century, The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce in New York has been an organization strongly supported by its members and friends. The “Year of Going Green” and the New York Green Summit will call for participants who wish to share the goals that we aim to attain throughout 2008. We invite you to take advantage of this opportunity, and to help us create a year that we will all be proud of.