The European Commission has proposed that the European Union continue to argue for a tough and legally binding global agreement, which would involve countries worldwide in real climate action. As well as beginning last December’s Copenhagen Accord by providing financial assistance to developing countries. Despite these proposals the European Commission has admitted that the world might not be ready to reach a global deal until at least 2011.
This announcement comes at a time when countries the world over are preparing for the next climate conference in Cancun, Mexico, scheduled for the end of this year.
Connie Hedegaard, Commissioner for Climate Action, said, “Climate change can be controlled only if all major emitters take action. Obviously nobody would, stronger than myself, hope that we could get everything done in Mexico, but the signals coming out of various capitals of big emitters, unfortunately, do not make that likely.”
The Commission has said that the EU would be ready to reach a legally binding global deal at Mexico. Nevertheless differences between countries could delay an agreement until 2011. The EU may be ready but the world isn’t and therefore their approach needs to be step-wise.
The European Union has committed to a 20% emissions cut below 1990 levels by 2020 and if other major economies agree to do their fair share of the global effort then they will scale this up to 30%. In particular the countries the EU is looking at to reduce their carbon emissions are developing economies such as India and China. Along with the other BASIC countries India has recently agreed to be formally associated with the Accord. Although it should be noted that BASIC countries have emphasised that the Accord is only a political statement and it has to be part of the UN’s two-track negotiation process.
Firmly opposed to India’s move to endorse the Accord the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has said that industrialised nations would get away with a pledge and review system. This is due mainly to the fact that the Accord did not set a firm peaking year for Annex 1 countries. The CSE has observed that these country’s emissions peaked in 2000.
According to the Commission the Copenhagen Accord was a “step towards the EU’s goal of a legally binding global climate agreement, which should take effect in 2013 at the end of the Kyoto Protocol’s first commitment period.” The EU’s core objective of keeping global warming below 2ºC above the pre-industrial temperature is endorsed by the Accord in order to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.
The Kyoto Protocol still remains the central building block behind the UN progress. However it only covers a limited number of countries and its serious weaknesses need to be addressed. These weaknesses are mainly concerning accounting rules for forestry emissions and the handling of surplus national emission rights from 2008-2012. If allowed to continue this would risk reducing the industrialised countries’ current emission reduction pledges to almost zero.
The swift implementation of the EU’s commitment to provide €2.4 billion in ‘fast start’ financial assistance to developing countries annually in 2010-2012 is essential both to the EU’s credibility and to enhancing recipient countries’ capacities to address climate change. The Commission is ready to help ensure the EU’s assistance is well coordinated.
The EU observed that the carbon market can also generate major financial flows to developing countries. As such it shall continue to work to advance the development of the international carbon market, which is essential for driving low-carbon investments and reducing global emissions cost effectively.
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April 10th, 2010 at 5:32 PM
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