Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-01-23-Speech-3-020"
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"en.20080123.6.3-020"2
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"Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the Commission’s decision to come and present its proposals to this House is significant. It is a positive sign that Europe takes the issue seriously and aims for the kind of fair response that we have helped to flesh out.
However, for this very reason I wish to say, with all sincerity, that I have my doubts about some aspects of these proposals and cannot endorse them. I refer to the excessive share of biofuels, despite growing misgivings in many quarters. I refer to the risk that some people will be able to equate nuclear with a clean and renewable source of energy, which it is not. I refer to the over-reliance on carbon capture technology rather than other, better practices. Finally, I refer to the waivers on emission limits for polluting countries or sectors such as iron and steel.
In this way we risk sapping Europe’s credibility, rather than reinforcing it in a crucial phase like the one initiated by the Bali Conference. The ground rules were laid down in Bali for signing a post-Kyoto agreement. In order to achieve this – and we must – there will be a need for considerable political will and the capacity to construct a complex scheme, but also consistency.
Political will means regarding climate issues as an acid test for Europe and for a different type of globalisation. Consistency means moving towards the 20/20/20: reduction of emissions, energy efficiency and use of renewable energy.
We therefore need to identify a package of priority measures to be approved over the coming year, before Parliament is dissolved and new elections are held. Over and above the 20/20/20, the package must include measures on vehicles and aircraft that make the general reduction pledges credible, partly by means of vertical policies. To this extent, waivers in sectors such as iron and steel would be a big mistake.
We also need to build in the complexity needed for a strong agreement, one calling for a new globalisation scenario based no longer on competition but on cooperation and technology transfer.
In addition, it is crucial to explore novel ideas, such as Mrs Merkel’s proposal on calculating per capita emissions, and to think about adjustments affecting in particular continents like Africa, which pollute less and are much harder hit by climate change. It is by this yardstick, the plight of Africa, that Europe’s contribution and dedication will be judged."@en1
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