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Press Service of the Greens/EFA Group Press release 23.1.2008 Commission proposal negatively prejudges outcome of international climate negotiationsThe European Commission today presented its package of legislative proposals on climate and energy (including emissions trading, renewables and 'effort sharing'). Commenting on the climate proposals, Finnish Green and vice-chair of the EP Environment Committee Satu Hassi said: "We welcome the EU-wide, harmonised allocation of emission permits in the next phase of the Emissions Trading Scheme. It is, however, a serious source of regret that the Commission has based its climate package on a mere 20% greenhouse gas reduction by 2020. Member States have committed to a 30% greenhouse gas reduction (which is in line with the reduction scientists agree is the minimum necessary) assuming an international agreement is reached. Basing the emissions cap under the Emissions Trading Scheme on a 20% reduction assumption displays pessimism on the outcome of international climate negotiations and sends the wrong signal to the rest of world. "The Commission's pessimism also prevailed in the treatment of energy-intensive sectors under the next round of the Emissions Trading Scheme. There should be no unfair environmental dumping against EU energy-intensive sectors. In exempting these sectors from auctioning until 2020, the Commission is starting from the negative assumption that no other countries will introduce binding measures to reduce emissions from these sectors. This could be circumvented by the use of a climate levy. "The proposal to include the purchasing of credits from the Kyoto Clean Development Mechanism, Joint Implementation or other external projects for meeting even this -20% is flawed and inconsistent. Until there is an international post-2012 climate agreement there is no certainty regarding these credits and there would be no legal base for them. In any event, the use of credits should be limited and industries should not be allowed to buy their way out of reductions." Commenting on the proposed legislation for renewable energy, Luxembourg Green and newly-appointed draftsman for the EP on renewables Claude Turmes added: "We broadly welcome the proposed legislation on how the EU should meet its 20% renewable energy target by 2020, as a step towards a renewables-based economy. It is crucial that this legislation is not undermined by infighting between Member States on their national renewables targets. Increasing renewables is not some punitive means of achieving climate goals, it is a key means of reducing our dependence on foreign energy and creating jobs in Europe. Crucially, the target is based on final consumption, so energy saving and energy efficiency are central to meeting the target." On the specific EU target for agro-fuels, UK Green and Climate Committee Co-ordinator Caroline Lucas concluded: "Despite the cacophony of warnings against an expansion in the use of agro-fuels, the Commission is continuing to bury its head in the sand. Even the Commission's own experts have cautioned that a serious expansion in the use of this generation of 'biofuels' will wreak serious social and environmental damage without delivering any real emissions reductions. The only way to avoid this damage is to scrap the 10% binding target agreed last year and we strongly urge Member States to do so. "The proposed sustainability criteria are completely inadequate, as well as being enormously difficult to enforce, and it is completely unacceptable that Member States should be prevented from introducing stricter criteria. Moreover, in the short term, the Commission is also refusing to even try to ensure that all biofuel production results in net greenhouse gas savings. Rather than playing with fire, the EU should simply scrap the mandatory 10% target for biofuels." |
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