03
Mar 2009 - Brussels, Belgium – European
environment ministers, who today discussed
Europe’s proposals for the Copenhagen climate
summit in December, appear to be backtracking
from a UN agreement by which developed countries
take the lead on climate action.
The ministers, meeting
as the EU Environment Council, call on developing
countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by 15-30% from expected levels by 2020 –
while the EU has set itself a 20% reduction
target from 11000 levels, which should increase
to 30% when the global deal is agreed.
Rather than strengthening
their own targets, EU Ministers called upon
a number of developing countries to consider
taking on binding emissions caps. Other
developing countries are also being asked
to elaborate plans for low carbon development
by 2012, but the EU Ministers have only
pledged to provide support for the development
of these plans to Least Developed Countries
– rather than all developing countries.
"much take, little
give"
“EU Ministers seem to
be trying to exorcise the spirit of Bali,
where industrialised countries agreed to
take the lead in a global deal to keep climate
change under control,” said Katherine Watts,
International Climate Change Policy Advisor
at WWF UK.
“The EU has long agreed
to support developing countries to reduce
their emissions, but today’s proposal is
much take and little give.”
EU ministers acknowledged
that global investment for climate change
policies may amount to €175 billion per
year in 2020, but have left it to EU Heads
of State and Government to agree how it
should be generated.
They have also failed
to offer a concrete package to facilitate
deployment of clean technologies in developing
countries, placing excessive confidence
in the markets’ ability to deliver. Adequate
provision of finance and technology is necessary
for a successful deal in Copenhagen.
“Europe is focusing
excessively on the role of emissions trading,”
said Watts. “Carbon markets are proving
to be a useful tool but are not a silver
bullet. Even here Europe sets a poor example
with its reluctance to fully auction permits
and back up trading with other instruments
such as emissions performance standards.”
The world needs Europe
While the EU Environment
Council proposals have to be approved later
in March by EU Heads of State and Government,
they fall surprisingly short of measures
needed to fulfil Europe’s stated ambition
to contribute to keeping global warming
below the 2°C threshold level for avoiding
unacceptable risks of catastrophic climate
change.
“The EU agreed its 2ºC
target in 1996, based on the then best available
information about climate impacts. We now
know that impacts are predicted at far lower
temperatures than once was thought,” said
Watts.
“The targets being proposed
by the EU, despite being one of the better
gambits on the table, show a worrying reality
gap. With the window for avoiding the worst
climate impacts beginning to close, the
world needs a Europe ready to collaborate
and do its fair share.”
WWF asks that Europe
lift its proposed 2020 emissions cuts from
20% by 2020 from 11000 levels, a target
further weakened by offsetting, to a 45%
target. Two thirds of this should be in
the EU itself, and the financial equivalent
of the remainder being used to support developing
countries’ actions.
