EU Spring Summit is yet another missed opportunity:
The Spokespersons of the European Green Party today said that EU leaders have missed a unique opportunity to show real leadership in the global fight against climate change at the Spring Summit in Brussels which has just concluded.
EGP Co-Spokesperson Ulrike Lunacek said: "We in the EGP share the relief of all those who want the EU to live up to its responsibilities to fight climate change that EU leaders today committed themselves to reaching agreement on the EU's energy package by the end of 2008. However, the leaders of the Member States should have gone much further and supported an unconditional target of at least 30% reductions in CO2 emissions by 2020. All credible scientific analysis shows that such 30% reductions, rather than the 20% reductions agreed on today, will be required if we are to avoid the most disastrous effects of climate change and ensure that the average temperature rise stays below 2°C above pre-industrial temperatures. Only by committing themselves to such reductions, unconditionally and without waiting for a similar commitment from other leading industrialised nations, can EU leaders give substance to their frequent claims that the EU is playing the leading role in the fight against climate change. Unfortunately, today's agreement is further evidence that the EU governments are neither brave enough nor far-sighted enough to really take the action that the challenge of climate change requires."
EGP Co-Spokesperson Philippe Lamberts continued: "The attempts this week by some Member States to water down the commitments contained in the Commission's climate and energy package and to allow exemptions for heavy industry and big business, including the car industry, do not bode well for the UN climate negotiations in 2009. We are also extremely critical of the retention of a 10% binding target for an increase in the use of agrofuels,despite increasing scientific evidence that agrofuels are environmentally destructive and create serious problems for food security. We European Greens will continue to push hard for an agreement soon on an enforcement mechanism to ensure that all Member States meet their individual targets on emission reductions. Otherwise there is a serious risk that the EU as a whole will not be able to meet its international obligations. The future of our planet and all its inhabitants must not be sacrificed for the sake of short-term economic interests. EU leaders were presented this week with a dire warning by Javier Solana and Benita Ferrero-Waldner of the threat that climate change poses to the security of the EU and it is shameful that even this warning was not enough to prompt stronger commitments from those leaders."
