Brussels, 09/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - In Strasbourg on Tuesday 9 March, three months after the failure of the world climate conference in Copenhagen (COP 15), the European Commission presented its strategy to take forward international negotiations in order to bring all the countries of the world to an comprehensive, ambitious and binding agreement, probably not in Mexico City in December (COP 16), but rather in South Africa (COP 17).
The communication, “International climate policy post-Copenhagen: Acting now to reinvigorate global action on climate change”, was prepared by the services of Connie Hedegaard, Commissioner for Climate Action, and of her colleague in Environment, Andris Piebalgs. It was to the European Parliament, meeting in plenary session, that this document was first presented. Hedegaard immediately announced to MEPOs that the strategy approved by the College of Commissioners had taken account of the resolution adopted by the Parliament in February.
The message of this communication was clear, Hedegaard said: Europe is ready, Europe is the region that kept its promises under the Kyoto Protocol, which demonstrates the greatest ambition on reducing its emissions by 2020 and which has set out how it intends to meet its commitments. Europe, she said, had no problems in the talks; it was ready to forge ahead to get an international agreement. That was Europe's aim, Hedegaard said.
While COP 15 may have been disappointing, Copenhagen was, nevertheless, a little step forward: 1009 countries, industrialised and developing, together making up 80% of world emissions, officially included in the Copenhagen Accord their reduction, or slowing of rate of increase, targets, she noted. There was the opportunity to turn this willingness into action. It was, she said, an opportunity to be seized to reach a solid, binding agreement for post-2012. The starting point of a winning strategy, was for the EU to remain the leader in taking tangible and determined measures for 2020 and retain its aim of reducing its emissions by 30% by 2020 (compared with 1990 levels), if the other major economies agree to take their fair share of the effort. This was in Europe's interest in terms of energy supply, green economic growth, eco-innovation and jobs, the Commissioner said. For this to be the case, the Commission communication proposes a strategy to ride on the momentum of Copenhagen. The strategy is built around three challenges.
1) Establishment of a roadmap for the UN negotiating process which will end in June, in Bonn. The commissioner states the political guidance in the Copenhagen Accord needs to be integrated into the UN negotiating texts that contain the basis of the future global climate agreement, in order to obtain tangible results in Cancún, in December. Hedegaard said there would be no-one happier than herself in Cancún if a binding agreement were reached but that differences with key partners could mean such an agreement is put off till next year. She called on the EU to be cautiously hopeful. In her view, it is necessary to work step by step to identify what can be obtained, stage by stage, to reach a binding agreement before 2012. Environmental integrity must be the watchword (to contain global warming to below 2° Celsius) and any shortcomings of the Kyoto Protocol must be met, the commissioner added, pointing out that the signatories of the Kyoto Protocol contribute only 30% of global emissions. She cited the weakness of rules when estimating forestry emissions and “hot air surplus” for 2010-2012.
2) An internal challenge to be raised by the EU: that of passing from 20 to 30% of emissions reduction. The Commission will present to the European Council in June an analysis of the adequate means for organising this transition in a way that is profitable to the EU in terms of innovation, job creation, energy saving, and also beneficial for the climate. It believes that, if it does it in an intelligent manner, it will not be as difficult as feared.
By the end of the year, the Commission will present bridging proposals in the run up to 2030, as a step towards 2050 - the long term objective for which Europe aims at a 80-95% reduction in emissions from industrialised countries. It is urgent for the EU to raise €2.4 billion over three years (2010-2012) for fast track financing in favour of developing countries not only for adaptation but also for mitigation, and the Commission is willing to contribute to the correct coordination of this European assistance.
3) Restoring confidence in the process and reflecting on specific and pragmatic decisions that could be adopted in Cancún. The EU must understand developments of its key partners and seek to convince them that the EU's vision is the best. To this end, Connie Hedegaard will be in the United States and Mexico next week before going on to the Maldives, Japan and China, in April. Visits to Brussels by non EU country representatives will also be put to advantage. The European Parliament is also invited to actively communicate with the parliamentarians of the main partner countries. (A.N./tfl)