Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-11-21-Speech-3-331-000"
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"en.20121121.24.3-331-000"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, President-in-Office of the Council, ladies and gentlemen, it is a well-established and fine tradition that we adopt a joint resolution in advance of climate conferences and prepare the delegation. Yesterday, we held a final meeting which was attended by the Commissioner and also the President of this House. My colleagues with experience in these matters tell me this was a first! With his contribution, the President sent out a strong signal that the full backing of the House is ensured and that we are taking on an important role in relation to COP 18, in that we will be holding discussions with as many international representatives as possible there and will also exercising our powers of persuasion. That really is essential. We hope that after tomorrow, we will be able to take with us a strong resolution that offers clear solutions. We have a duty to provide answers, for climate change can only be combated and halted through international cooperation. The conference in Doha will take place from 26 November to 7 December, and I am keen to see which positions China will adopt and which positions the US will adopt now that the President has been returned to office for a second term. How will they position themselves, and how will we then respond to the issues raised, and so on?
We have just held an interesting debate about Europe’s financial future. This debate is relevant to us in Doha as well, for as is well-known, friendship stops where money begins. Where climate change is concerned, however, friendship begins in earnest. We must find answers to the question of how the fast-start period will continue to be financed after 2012. A great deal of money will be required here. However, it is important to emphasise, as always, that the deceptive aspect of climate change is that its effects are not felt immediately. Even if we were to adopt a decision tomorrow that CO
emissions will be reduced by 50 % immediately, the effects would not be felt until very much later. Climate change and the financial crisis therefore have one feature in common: they will both cost a great deal of money.
If we continue to prevaricate, also in the international arena, and do not manage to find a workable way forward in Doha, this will prove very costly for the international community and is likely to have extremely adverse effects for a great many people. It may even cost lives. Failure, therefore, is not an option. However, we should not demand too much, that much is clear. At previous conferences, we learned that we have to take small steps. However, the largest step that the industrialised nations must take is to deal with the future financing and safeguards for adaptation measures and climate action. Clearly, we remain committed to the 2° target. However, with a ‘business as usual’ approach, 3.5° or 4° is the more likely outcome, and no expert in the world can tell us the exact number of degrees at which we cause irreparable damage to the planet.
I am most grateful to the Commissioner. Last week, we held a lengthy debate on how we wish to proceed internally with our emissions trading scheme. However, there is movement at the international level as well, and this applies to various sectors. I welcome the fact that we appear to be on track, here in the EP, towards a solution for aviation, which I hope will be achieved as quickly as possible, ideally before the conference. However, aviation is an international business, and if there is the possibility of achieving a global agreement here, we should stop the clock, as the Commissioner has rightly pointed out, but of course only for a short time. In that case, it is essential to ensure that the international negotiations produce a genuinely workable arrangement, with a workable decision being taken by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), resulting in an international agreement. Otherwise, the clocks will start ticking again in autumn next year and the legislation will proceed. I would also like to respond to the fellow Members who described this as ‘giving way’. Let me say this: ‘giving way’ looks very different. I believe this was a wise decision which this House should support. I believe it sends out a signal for the debates in Doha and shows, once again, that we are willing to compromise here.
A further important point relates to climate diplomacy, which the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety included in the resolution. This means that we are following this issue at all levels, including the European External Action Service (EEAS), and it is always a topic of discussion at all the international meetings. The parliamentary delegation is very well prepared. I very much hope that everyone, including the Commission, will ensure that the parliamentary delegation is fully involved in all the daily briefings so that we have a lively exchange. Our role in Doha will be to convince as many people as possible in positions of responsibility outside the European Union that our ideas are the right ones, and advocate for a global agreement, so that a second commitment period can begin. That is crucial in order to combat climate change and achieve successes."@en1
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