Brussels, 28/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 28 October, 13 European ministers or secretaries of state for energy and climate set out their vision for a low-carbon economy. They called on the EU to take urgent action by focusing on three priorities - agreeing on an ambitious energy/climate political framework for 2030; reforming the structure of the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS); and ensuring that the EU is in a position to table an ambitious offer for reducing its emissions next September at the climate summit of the heads of state convened by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to facilitate the conclusion of the legally binding world climate agreement in 2015 in Paris (COP 21). The 13 EU ministers met as part of the Group for Green Growth and they included the ministers from Estonia, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the UK, who have all signed up to the joint pamphlet - Going for Green Growth: the Case for Ambitious and Immediate Low Carbon Ambition.
In the view of UK Energy and Climate Secretary Edward Davey, the message given by the signatories, who are resolved to work hand in hand, is clear: “Businesses and investors are telling us that the EU needs to get its act together and that we need to urgently agree a 2030 climate and energy framework and reform the EU ETS. Only then will investors have the confidence to put the billions into low carbon that we need. The consequences of inaction are clear. The stakes are high. If we do not act, we could all lose out in the low carbon race.”
European Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard stressed that “it is in Europe's interest to become more energy and resource efficient and less dependent on imported fossil fuels”. This is why the European Commission is “now finalising its proposal for 2030 climate and energy targets” expected at the end of the year. The initiative of the Green Group for Growth taken at less than a month from the UN climate conference in Warsaw (COP 19, 11-22 November) was welcomed by Christiana Figueires, Secretary General of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC): “Implementing clear policy frameworks that incentivise low-carbon, price carbon and lay the groundwork for emission reduction commitments in 2014 are the greatest contributions governments can make towards the new, universal 2015 climate agreement currently under design”. (AN/transl.fl)