Strasbourg, 15/02/2007 (Agence Europe) - There is no point prevaricating about it. In order to reach the international target subscribed to by the EU - to reduce the average rise in global temperature to 2°C compared to the pre-industrial era - a minimum 30% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is needed in industrialised countries in the run-up to 2020 (compared to 1990 levels) to reach 80% reduction by 2050.
The European Parliament's essential message to the EU in its resolution on climate change adopted on 14 February in Strasbourg is firm: - the EU must not imagine that international talks on the post-2012 period could fail or aim at a unilateral reduction in emissions targets (a reduction of at least 20% by 2020 as the European Commission suggests). It must, however, count on the talks being a success, as it is acknowledged that urgent action is needed. And the strategy to combat EU global warming must be based on these two undeniable objectives, in the medium and long term. “The EU should base its strategy on the assumption that an agreement will be achieved at international level on a post-2012 framework; (and) believes, therefore, that it is premature to discuss at this stage a fall-back strategy in case such an international agreement is not reached”, states the motion for a resolution.
Prepared by Karl-Heinz Florenz (EPP-ED), former chairman of the parliamentary committee on the environment, the amended resolution makes a synthesis of the debate held by MEPs on 31 January, the day after the revelations of the scientific report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (EUROPE 9357). Adopted by a large majority (616 votes for, 25 against and 30 abstentions), it comes as the Parliament's response to the Commission communication on “limiting the average global temperature increase to 2°C above pre-industrialised levels” presented on 10 January in the context of the energy and climate package, with a view to the European Council on 8 and 9 March (EUROPE 9341).
Stressing the urgency of concrete measures at global level and the need for political leaders to activate the process, the Parliament welcomes the fact that the Commission, like the German EU Council presidency, had placed climate change at the heart of its political agenda. On this base, it urges the EU to keep its leading role in talks aimed at establishing an international regime to combat climate change in the post-2012 framework. The Parliament stresses the need to seriously speed up these talks to prevent there being a void between the first and second period of commitment foreseen in the Kyoto Protocol, and to give the international community the time to programme necessary measures. Reaching an agreement by the end of 2008 and in 2009 at the latest is a necessity, the Parliament points out.
MEPs regret the lack of clarity in the package on energy and climate change with regard to the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets by 2020, and consider that a minimum reduction of 30% is necessary to have a reasonable chance of reaching the goal set by the EU to reduce warming to 2°C. In order for an international agreement to be reached on this goal for industrialised countries, the Parliament says it is necessary for the EU to look not only at environmental policy but also at foreign and international trade policy as well as the possibility of changing energy demand and the demand for other natural resources. The Parliament calls on the Commission and member states to set policies in place to prevent member states from relocating a large part of their activities and their high-energy consuming technologies and natural resources towards the lesser developed countries.
It calls on all industrialised countries that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol and invites the Commission and member states to study the possibility of adopting measures to adjust crossborder trade in order to compensate for the short term competitive advantages that could be enjoyed by industrialised countries that have not limited their CO2 emissions. The Parliament restates its call for review of the greenhouse gas emission trading scheme in order to harmonise the quota allocation method. The EU should also envisage proposing sector-specific targets for high energy intensity export industries in countries that have not pledged to reduce their emissions, the Parliament states. While agreeing that emerging and developing countries had to be involved in efforts, the EP felt that developing countries could not be treated as a single block and that the least developed countries had to be required to make commitments.
Underlining that energy policy was a key element in the EU strategy on climate change, the Parliament felt that there was great potential within energy efficiency for large emission reductions and called on the EU to consider whether it would be possible to do better than the 20% energy savings proposed by the Commission. Balanced national tax and levy systems would, according to the EP, help to prevent energy wastage. The Parliament called on the Commission to begin infringement procedures against those member states which have yet to transpose the directive on the energy performance of buildings.
It welcomed the proposal to set a binding target increasing to 25% the proportion of renewable energy in the EU energy mix by 2020, but regretted the lack of binding sectoral targets. It also invited the Commission immediately to bring forward specific sectoral targets, as well as a global one. MEPs also regretted the fact that the Commission had not presented, as it had promised the Parliament it would, a draft directive to support the use of renewable energy for heating and air conditioning.
The European Parliament criticised the delay in the Commission's presentation of its proposals for compulsory limits on emissions from motor vehicles, and noted the proposed compulsory target of 10% biofuels in motor car fuels by 2020. It stressed, here, the importance of sustainable biofuel production, so that the development of such crops should not be to the detriment of food production or aggravate deforestation in the world. Finally, the Parliament welcomed the proposal for an energy partnership with Africa, and would like a similar partnership set up with China and India. (an)