Brussels 29/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - Nothing new on the climate change front. The EU intends to maintain the course it has set for the world conference in Cancun (COP 16, Mexico, 29 November - 10 December), a crucial step on the way to conclusion of a legally binding global agreement, but the other major economies will also have to come on board. The urgency of the need to tackle this problem effectively justifies the demand.
In less time than it takes to say Jack Robinson, EU heads of state and government had confirmed in Brussels on Friday 27 October the level of their ambition and the EU's conditional offer, both for its emissions reduction target by 2020 and for the second Kyoto Protocol commitment period beyond 2012. The position was clear, there was not even any debate (see EUROPE 10246). With all the attention on economic governance, leaders had barely spoken to the press about the issue. In Cancun, the EU and its member states will speak with one single voice. Following the failure in Copenhagen, the resolve is strong.
Ambition subject to conditions. “The desire of member states to send a strong message to our partners in the world”, which guided those parts of the debate devoted to external relations, is valid, too, “for the global climate debate”, said permanent European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.
In short: “The EU stands ready, with an ambitious approach as regards emissions provided other major emitters also take their responsibilities”.
European Commission President José Manuel Barroso stressed the EU's desire that Cancun results in a “balanced set of decisions which keep the momentum towards an international framework to keep global temperature increase below 2 degree Celsius”. While accepting that “negotiations will be difficult”, he said that the EU “will do everything to keep this goal alive”.
Increasing the European offer from 20% to 30% by 2020 still remains conditional on similar commitments from the United States and the emerging economies, and on appropriate action on the part of developing countries to limit the growth of their emissions. For the moment, the conditions for the increase have not been met.
The situation will be reviewed in the light of what is achieved in Cancun and the possible options to make the leap will be duly examined. It will be for the European Council to revisit this issue before spring 2011.
The EU is prepared to accept possible extension of the Kyoto Protocol but this, too, will depend on the commitments made by the major economies, in addition to the international community's ability to maintain the environmental effectiveness of this instrument, correcting its current weaknesses. These weaknesses derive from the possibility of reselling surplus warm air (assigned amount units or AAU) beyond 2012 and the lack of robust rules for calculating the contribution of forests and the changes of land use to the climate change situation. On 14 October environment ministers said as much (see EUROPE 10237). The European Council adopted the ministerial conclusions without going into detail.
Transparent funding. On immediate funding for adaptation and mitigation in developing countries while a global agreement is reached, the Council gave assurances that the EU would pay the sums promised to the poorer countries that are especially vulnerable to climate change (€7.2 billion over three years) and will do so in all transparency. An exhaustive report on the state of the EU payments will be put on the table in Cancun, and every year thereafter. This will be music to the ears of the developing countries anxious to find out if the fast-track funding promised by the rich countries in Copenhagen was indeed new money.
Cooperation to be built. Determined to find as many allies as possible in support of an ambitious position, the EU will continue efforts to cooperate with key partners and help them reduce their emissions. A sentence was added to the Council conclusions to stress that “the EU encourages regional initiatives to tackle climate change and promote green growth such as the recent Mediterranean Initiative on Climate Change”.
President of the Italian Council Silvio Berlusconi was one of the few to comment on this outcome.
He told press that he was delighted that heads of state and government had insisted on comparable and parallel efforts from “China, the United States and Brazil”. His fears over loss of EU competitiveness as a result of unfair competition from partners less concerned about the climate have been somewhat appeased.
“My final great satisfaction is that my idea has prevailed on tackling climate change,” he stated modestly. He went on to refer ironically to the initial European position, “wanting to act like the Don Quixote” of climate with unilateral commitments. (A.N./F.G./transl.rt)