Brussels, 06/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament committee on the environment, chaired by Matthias Groote (S&D, Germany), believes that at the Doha Climate Conference (COP 18, 26 November - 7 December), the European Union should set an example and provide a -30% target for its emissions reduction up to 2020 (compared to 1990 levels). The draft resolution was adopted on Tuesday 6 November by a large majority (54 votes in favour, seven against, with one abstention) and calls for ambitious goals in an effort to maintain the impetus obtained at Durban and make Doha a success. It will be submitted to the European Parliament plenary session on the 19-22 November.
The chair of the committee declared that the EU and our international partners must not only keep their promises but also increase the level of ambition if we want to limit global warming to 2°. It is time to move forward. MEPs point out that increasing the -20% benchmark to -30% is not only good for the climate but is also in the interest of the EU itself because it will allow it to develop sustainable growth, create jobs and reduce dependency on imports for its energy supply.
The Parliamentary committee has expressed its full support for a second period of commitments in the Kyoto Protocol, to ensure continuity between the end of the first period of commitments at the end of December this year and the conclusion of the global binding agreement due to be signed in 2015 and to enter into force by 2020.
MEPs are afraid that the transfer of Assigned Amount Units (AAUs) to the second period of the Kyoto commitments will harm the environmental integrity of this instrument by undermining emissions reduction efforts. They are also asking that countries, European or otherwise, agree on a strategy and that the EU “sets an example” in order to settle this issue.
Faced with insurrection from countries opposed to the ETS directive and which are threatening the EU with a trade war, the environment committee has reiterated its unconditional support for the inclusion of aviation in the emissions trading system and is insisting on the need to urgently tackle emissions from aviation and international maritime sources. (AN/transl.fl)