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EU Spring Summit: no clarity on climate targets

Commenting on today's conclusions of the EU Spring Summit, where EU Heads of States have acknowledged the need for deeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions [1], Jan Kowalzig, climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:

"This is an important step forward in the battle against climate change. EU leaders have understood that fighting global warming must remain a top priority for Europe, if we are to avoid huge costs in terms of both the economy and human suffering. Fighting climate change would also benefit innovation, employment and competition in a world that is slowly waking up to the challenge of climate change and needs increasingly to look for low-carbon and highly efficient  technologies."

"We are, however, deeply disappointed that the target agreed on by the Heads of State, 15-30% greenhouse gas reduction by 2020, is both weak and ambiguous. There is a world of difference between 15% and 30%, and only the higher target reflects what industrialised countries must achieve to prevent catastrophic climate change."

"An ambiguous target is also unhelpful to European business investments plans. We would have preferred the EU to set Europe on a reduction pathway, with annual regular annual reductions, leading to minus 30% by 2020."


CONTACTS

Jan Kowalzig, climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe
phone: +32-2-5426102
email: jan.kowalzig@foeeurope.org


NOTES

[1] EU Heads of State followed only partially the recommendations of their Environment Ministers who concluded on 10 March 2005 that industrialised countries should aim for greenhouse gas emission cuts in the range of 15-30% by 2020 and 60-80% by 2050. The Heads of State decided to delete the 2050 reference from the text and leave in only the 2020 target. The council conclusions are available at
http://ue.eu.int/cms3_applications/applications/newsroom/loadDocument.ASP?directory=fr/ec/&fileName=84331.pdf

 

Friends of the Earth Europe campaigns for sustainable and fair societies and for the protection of the environment,
unites more than 30 national organisations with thousands of local groups
and is part of the world's largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International.