Brussels, 04/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 3 September, MEPs from the European Parliament's development (DEVE) committee, chaired by Linda McAvan (S&D, UK), called on their colleagues from the environment, public health and food safety (ENVI) committee not to lose sight of the fact that climate change is a big threat for development.
Following Anna Zaborska (EPP, Slovakia), who is the rapporteur for opinions on the Paris conference (COP 21, 30 November-11 December), it was by a large majority (19 votes in favour, 2 abstentions) that the MEPs made their recommendations for the Parliament's ENVI committee - the lead committee on the position the EU will uphold at COP 21 (the rapporteur is Gilles Pargneaux, S&D, France).
Their opinion report - “Towards a new international climate agreement in Paris” - states that climate change is a major threat for poor countries and less developed countries, and could undermine the positive impacts of development if not limited to 2° Celsius. Climate change in Africa could contribute to worsening the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean, the DEVE committee warns.
In the MEPs' opinion, the EU should continue to work in favour of a binding international agreement that ensures mitigation and adaptation measures are multiplied.
The MEPs again urge the EU and other developed countries to respect their common commitment to mobilising public and private resources of up to $100 million per year from 2020 in order to finance the mitigation and adaptation efforts of developing countries.
The MEPs recognise that progress should be made on the issue of compensating the losses and damage suffered by the developing countries - an issue held dear by the small island states, which are particularly vulnerable to climate change.
The DEVE committee underlines how much the severity of natural disasters, soil erosion, food crises, large scale migration flows and conflicts damages the global-level efforts for achieving the sustainable development goals. (Aminata Niang)