| Despite setbacks, EU Climate Change policy must be ambitious |
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The coming year is undoubtedly crucial for international climate change policy. Not only is time pressing on and urgent climate change mitigation and adaptation mechanisms needed, but two UN conferences are due to be held with climate change firmly on their agenda (UNFCCC and Rio+20). In this context, many people see as crucial that the EU should be a progressive voice in negotiations. The EU should both lead by example and push to break the international stalemate that seems to plague international negotiations as of late. However, on 5 July, the European Parliament decisively rejected a resolution that would recommend increasing the EU’s 2020 CO2 emissions reduction target from 20 percent to 30 percent. A majority of MEPs, led by the Greens and the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) were force to reject the non-binding report drafted by Bas Eickhout, a Dutch Green MEP. They did so after a group of 74 MEPs from the European People's Party (EPP) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group tabled a number of amendments that watered down the text, forcing Mr Eickhout to vote against his own report. “The amendments, which passed by the tightest of majorities, would have meant the final report was a step back from previous positions adopted by the European Parliament,” said Eickhout. “The least-worst outcome was to prevent the report from being adopted.” Eickhout also noted that a ‘Polish’ focus may have helped sway the vote, highlighting the fact that all Polish MEPs in the Parliament voted against, regardless of their party allegiance. Indeed, this comes just days after the country took up its six-month Presidency of the Council of Ministers. There had already been fears of climate change policy being sidelined under the Polish Presidency. At the last EU Environment Council meeting held in June, Poland was the only member state to oppose the adoption of the Council Conclusions that would have seen a revision of Europe’s Energy Roadmap 2050. The revisions included a 40% cut in carbon emissions by 2030, a 60% cut by 2040 and an 80% cut by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. Polish Climate Coalition advisor, Zbigniew Karaczun called for Poland to constructively join the debate about greater EU climate action. “26 EU Members States agreed that climate protection is in their own economic interest. Poland cannot keep ignoring this fact” remarked the official. Climate Action Network Europe (CAN Europe) has urged Poland to use the opportunity of its presidency to ‘come out of isolation’ on climate action. “The EU Presidency is a unique opportunity for Poland to promote solutions that are in both its own national interests and those of Europe as a whole” — said Tomas Wyns, Policy Coordinator at CAN Europe. Looking to the future, it is unclear who will take the lead within the EU in climate change negotiations, given the seeming reluctance of the Council and the recent decision in the European Parliament. Urgent and decisive action needs to be taken in order to tackle climate change yet international negotiations have proved ineffective in providing progressive policy. Recent examples of this include the breakdown of the CSD-19 negotiations in May ahead of the United Nations Conference of Sustainable Development next year (Rio+20) and prevailing disagreements hampered progress in international discussions at UNFCCC talks in Bonn last month. The EU has proved itself as a leader in climate change policy in the past — Eurostep would urge this to continue in the future if we are to bring about the changes so desperately needed for people and planet. Sources:  |
