Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-05-21-Speech-3-049"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20080521.3.3-049"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, I thank all the speakers in today’s debate for their very interesting interventions.
A transition to a low-CO
economy is necessary on a global scale. This can be achieved only through systematic, coordinated measures to reduce emissions in all sectors.
The package of measures on climate change and energy now at the co-decision stage gives us a head start in the transition. It also enables us to show that an ambitious climate policy is both feasible and of broader benefit to our economies and societies.
We shall continue our highly constructive cooperation on this important package of policy measures and shall reach an agreement, I hope, as soon as possible this year.
To conclude, let me congratulate the European Parliament on its important contribution to the effort to combat climate change, and salute Mr Florenz for his excellent work.
I hope Parliament will continue in this constructive manner. May our cooperation and exchange of views continue, both on the package of measures on climate and energy, and on the international negotiations in the run-up to Poznań and Copenhagen.
In particular, let me point out that the EU, either as the EU-15 or the EU-27, will meet the Kyoto target, and there is no doubt about that. Since I will be or hope to be a commissioner for another 18 months, I assure you that there is no way we can fail to achieve the Kyoto target. I say this because the measures we have already taken, and are taking now, ensure that the Kyoto target will be met. Now this is the least we should do in the coming years. For the record, the figures you supplied earlier are correct. It has to be said that the EU is reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, while other countries such as the United States are increasing them, and at a significantly faster rate than in 1990. In 2005, as you said, we were 2% below the 1990 level, and in 2006 a little short of 3% for the 15 EU countries, which have a collective target. However, as the EU-27, our success is ever greater, as we are roughly 8% below the 1990 level. At the end of the period the Kyoto Protocol has given us to fulfil our obligations, the EU-15 will be at least 8% below, and the EU-27 at least 11% below the 1990 level. Let us note that our decrease of just over 8% is very positive because it will help us to achieve the target for 2020 and beyond.
According to the interim report, scientific findings will play an important role in international negotiations because they will allow us to take bold measures. They will serve as a basis for assessing the suitability of the proposals to be tabled for negotiation during the run-up to the Copenhagen Conference.
The resolution reminds us of the dangers involved in uncontrolled climate change, which will affect human society in a variety of ways and will seriously impact our economies and cultural traditions.
The resolution quite rightly emphasises how important it is to avoid major disruptions to the climate, such as the drying-up of the Amazon tributaries and the collapse of large volumes of ice at both Poles.
I think it is equally important to highlight the likely consequences of climate change in terms of international security, food and water shortages, and disputes over control of resources and over movements of migrants. Pressure is steadily increasing on the international community because of environmental emergencies resulting from extreme weather conditions and violent conflicts caused by climate change. The recent food price crisis is the most palpable example to date of what may happen: reduced harvests in many parts of the world are caused by extreme weather conditions. Unfortunately, this situation does not appear to be temporary or exceptional; it is set to become integral and recurrent and cannot be controlled without drastic changes to agricultural policy and farming practice.
Allow me here to mention some other topics raised in the report. I will start with the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through suitable action at national level in developing countries. There is a need for the support and prospects offered by technology. There must be funding to transfer technology and enhance the administrative capacities of these countries so that the reductions in question can be measured, recorded and verified. This idea is at the core of the Bali Action Plan negotiations. As was noted in Bali, any move on the part of the developing countries will depend not only on serious commitments by the developed countries to reduce emissions, but also on substantial efforts on the part of those countries to provide funding, especially for the transfer of technology and creation of the necessary administrative capacity.
It is important for the EU to take advantage of every opportunity for dialogue with the main developing countries, so that there is agreement on what exactly this means and how the EU can support such actions, either through cooperation in formulating policy, technical assistance, the transfer of know-how and the provision of incentives on the CO
market, or through financial assistance. There are measures to be taken in all sectors, including action on emissions from energy use, and forest depletion.
I will turn now to the scientific aspect of this discussion. The Commission fully agrees that scientific findings should be made known to the general public. Consumers should be prepared and made more aware of how much greenhouse gas is generated by their lifestyle and consumer habits. This increased alerting of the public should, however, be accompanied by strong financial incentives for companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions arising from the products and services they provide."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
"2"1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples