Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-04-19-Speech-1-148"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20040419.12.1-148"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Madam President, I should like to start by thanking my fellow shadow rapporteurs: Mr Davies of the Liberals, Mr Bowe of the Socialists, Mrs Garcia-Orcoyen Tormo of the Christian Democrats and Mr Blokland of the EDD Group. I am indebted to them for the unanimity and support. I would thank the Irish Presidency for its constructive way of negotiating. I also wish to thank the Commission, which has cooperated well, although it is not formally obliged to do so. I am also indebted to Commissioner Wallström. We have reached an agreement at first reading. I will list nine points. In my view, the result is sound.
Point 9: we will need to extend the scope of the emission trading system to include aviation and subsequently also road transport. This is preferable to opting in favour of domestic Joint Implementation Projects, as is being suggested by some.
Finally, the French Government and French industry have no faith in this linking directive. Neither has Greenpeace. This is old-fashioned dogmatism. I am pleased that all political groups, the Council of Ministers and the Commission have more insight and are prepared to support this compromise. Climate change is deteriorating by the day; we must act in unison. For climate change, it makes no difference where the greenhouse gas is produced. Armed with this linking directive, we will now enter upon the worldwide struggle to solve the climate issue.
Point 1: this linking directive enters into effect as soon as 2005. Companies can start now; they are given legal certainty now.
Point 2: this linking directive is independent of the coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol, as is the law on emission trading. For us in Europe, Kyoto is starting to take effect now. We will not wait until Russia ratifies Kyoto. One hundred and twenty countries, two-thirds of the world population, have already ratified Kyoto.
Point 3: energy companies and large firms can now earn emission allowance by investing in the switch from Chinese coal-fired power stations to gas, in making coal-fired power stations more effective, in solar power stations in Indonesia, in wind farms on the coastlines of developing countries or in retrieving spent gas from rubbish tips. There are many more possible ways to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gases.
Point 4: we have followed the Kyoto Protocol in deciding that the construction of nuclear power stations is not permitted.
Point 5: carbon sinks are out of the question because – or so this House sees it – growing trees are only an interim solution. Trees fall over or burn down. Even if trees die a natural death, they expel all the carbon absorbed. Biomass or bio-fuels, however, are very much an option. Governments can also gain experience with sinks.
Point 6: large hydro-electric power stations are only possible if the criteria of the World Commission on Dams are observed. Although hydropower actually helps in the fight against climate change, ecological and social criteria should also be taken into consideration. On this score too, we are stricter than the Kyoto Protocol.
Point 7: the agreement that the Member States have to make half of their Kyoto efforts in their own countries and half abroad, has been re-confirmed. Agreements only to commit industry to the ceiling make no sense, because this leads to governments, at least some governments, making 50% of their investments abroad, with industry making a further 25% of the countries' investments abroad. Ultimately, only 25% will be invested at home and 75% abroad. By acting in this way, we would put our ecological credibility on the line.
Point 8: outside Europe, there is a great deal of interest in our system of emission trading and in this linking directive. Fifteen states in the United States and four provinces in Australia intend to set up comparable emission trading systems. The Commission will be examining whether they can plug into our European system. The same applies to Canada and, hopefully in future, also to Japan. In that way, a start is being made on the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol before it enters into effect officially."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples