Climate change
EU Parliament calls for EU to raise its game before Copenhagen
The European Parliament plenary today adopted a resolution with a big majority (1) that sets out its stance on the EU strategy going into international climate talks in Copenhagen in December. The resolution includes key points, including a call for an annual 30 billion climate financing from the EU to developing countries and reference to scientists' recommendations for the EU to achieve 40% emissions reductions by 2020.
Finnish Green MEP Satu Hassi commented:
"The European Parliament has today called for the EU to make clear and improved commitments as it goes into critical climate talks in Copenhagen. The EU can win a positive result in Copenhagen by putting its cards on the table now instead of playing poker with its negotiating position.
Parliament calls on the EU to assume its responsibilities and acknowledge that its contribution to climate aid in developing countries must rise to at least 30bn per annum by 2020.
Dutch Green MEP Bas Eickhout commented:
The EU still has time before Copenhagen to make an unconditional commitment to 30% emissions reductions by 2020. This kind of leadership would breathe life into flagging hopes for the summit. It would also move the EU closer to meeting its past and present climate responsibilities as an industrialised bloc. This would be in the order of 40% emissions reductions by 2020, to be achieved domestically and not through offsets in developing countries.
The Copenhagen summit can only be judged a success if it reaches a binding agreement in line with keeping global warming below the 2°C threshold. If the EU is to light the spark that achieves this success, it must step up its negotiating position before the talks begin.
Notes to editors:
(1) 516 votes for, 92against, 70 abstentions
