Copenhagen, 01/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - To curb climate change, the EU must give itself the means to achieve its ambitions: ahead of the European Spring Council on 8-9 March, “Denmark is hoping for targets that are as ambitious and restrictive as possible,” Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen told AFP on Wednesday. “But there is opposition from several sides,” he added without naming the reluctant member states.
Denmark backs unilateral 30% reduction in Community emissions …
Speaking to his peers next week, Mr Rasmussen will point out that his country supported a more ambitious target than the one proposed by the Commission - and approved by the Environment Council on 20 February - of a unilateral reduction by the EU of 20% in its carbon emissions by 2020, and 30% for developed and emerging countries as a whole if there were to be a binding post-Kyoto international agreement, a Danish government source told EUROPE on Wednesday. Denmark “would have preferred a 30% unilateral target,” Danish Environment Minister Connie Hedegaard said in an interview with EUROPE in Copenhagen on Wednesday. “It's crucial that the EU take the leadership because I can see nobody else to take this role in global negotiations (for an agreement after the expiry in 2012 of the Kyoto Protocol),” she added. “Already now, Europe should start planning for a 30% reduction in CO² emissions. That means that the tools, the measures, the different kinds of regulations and initiatives should already be taken now,” she said, before going on: “It would strengthen the EU position in the international negotiations (for a post-Kyoto agreement) because we would not just argue that it is possible to reduce by 30%, but we could actually show that here is how we intend to do it on air traffic, car standards, renewables”. “30% is not an arbitrary goal, it was taken from the UN Stern report: it's more expensive not to act now than act now if we want to avoid unnecessary damage,” she added.
… and wants a binding commitment on renewables
If Denmark maintains its position on a unilateral 30% reduction in emissions during the European Council, it is unlikely to find much support. There should, however, be full backing on 8-9 March for a 20% unilateral commitment. But the EU will still have to give itself the means to achieve this target. That is why Mr Rasmussen is expected to argue forcefully for the adoption by heads of state and government of a binding target on the share of renewable energy in the total EU primary energy consumption. There will probably be agreement on the 20% proposed by the Commission in its energy and climate change package of 10 January (see EUROPE 9341). But the way to achieve this target, which Energy Ministers (see EUROPE 9367) and Environment Ministers (see EUROPE 9371) left to the highest authorities to decide, sets two groups of member states in opposition one with the other: according to a Danish government source, there is a “more ambitious” group, led by Denmark, with Spain, Slovenia and Sweden following; and a group of “more reticent” countries, led by the United Kingdom and France. Because it holds the presidency of the Council, Germany has a duty not to give its position, but, in Copenhagen, it is hoped that it will tip the scales in favour of binding targets on renewables; all the more so since, from January, it has scarcely concealed its support for the ambitious proposals supported by Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs.
“If we want to show that we can reduce our CO² emissions (unilaterally by 20%), it is crucial for heads of state and government to adopt binding targets for renewables. This will send a strong signal to the European renewables industry,” Ms Hedegaard told EUROPE. “If I should use the Danish experience, we engaged to reduce by 21% our CO² emissions compared to 1990 levels. If we had not had such binding targets (on renewables), I guarantee you that this initiative would have been without any effect,” she said. Welcoming the fact that the German presidency had not “closed the door” to a binding target at the Environment Council, the Danish minister did not hesitate to say that possible agreement by the European Council on a theoretical target was “stupid”. Even if heads of state and government were to agree with her, there would still be bitter negotiations, if not a real battle of figures before the 27 member states agreed on the “burden sharing” related to the adoption of a compulsory target at EU level. According to a Danish government source, a balance would have to be found between the most advanced member states and those farthest behind on renewables, those whose current energy mix would mean it would be difficult to reach the target; those better provided than others in sources of green energy or the smaller, more isolated states. “The issue of finding a fair way to share the burden among member states will be difficult to resolve,” Ms Hedegaard said. She felt the EU had to find room for agreement “between those who have lots of hydro-electrical resources and those who could do more in solar or wind power”.
Ms Hedegaard also set out Copenhagen's position on biofuels. “OK for a 10% binding target, but under the very explicit condition that we will have developed second generation (ethanol from the biomass), because first generation (ethanol from sugar beet, cane sugar, wheat and maize - and vegetable oil) is not sustainable,” she said. Finally Ms Hedegaard said she supported binding targets in energy efficiency. This is a purely indicative stance by the Danish government, since the European Council is expected simply to confirm its support for the Action Plan adopted by the Commission last year, which calls on the EU to make potential energy savings of 20%.
New “visionary” national energy policy
Danish demands have a very solid basis. On 19 January, the Rasmussen government presented its new long-term energy plan, entitled “A Visionary Energy Plan for Denmark”, which aims to free Denmark from its dependence on fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas. Yet the energy performance of this small country of 5.3 million inhabitants is unequalled in Europe and beyond, in terms of both renewable energy, which produces 27.5% of the country's electricity (with 67% of this from wind power) and energy efficiency (Denmark has the lowest energy intensity in the EU25 and has one of the world's most energy efficient electricity power stations) and development of energy technology (it is the EU's top exporter). In addition, Denmark - out on its own, with 99% dependency on fossil fuel imports at the time of the first oil crisis - is now self-sufficient in energy, and indeed produces 56% more than its own needs, thanks to the development of its own oil production in the North Sea since the start of the 80s. These performances, however, do not prevent it from aiming still higher: through four measures and priority objectives, Copenhagen intends to reduce the country's use of fossil fuels by 15% by 2025. To this end, the Danish government wants to double the share of renewable energy in the country's total primary energy consumption from the 15% at present to 30% by 2025. It wants to increase energy efficiency in the economy by 1.25% per year. As the Commission proposed for the EU as a whole, Copenhagen's aim is that, by 2020, 10% of the fuels used in the transport sector in Denmark will be renewable in origin, in the form of biofuels. Finally, the Danish government wants to double the sum devoted to R&D in the field of energy to one billion Danish crowns. (eh)