Push for European action on climate change
3 October 2011

European environment ministers will meet on 10 October. The outcome of the meeting is crucial for the next international climate conference in Durban, South Africa.

> Please tell Chris Huhne to push for strong European action

Millions of people across the world are already facing the ever-increasing impacts of climate change. The success of the climate summit in South Africa in December is crucial for the health of the climate and people.

Inaction can lead to catastrophic outcomes

If developed nations, like the EU, aren't acting first and fastest, climate change will continue to have catastrophic impacts on many of the poorest countries in the world.

Environment ministers must recognise Europe's moral and historical responsiblity - and take immediate action.

Raise ambition

European targets to reduce emissions are simply inadequate.

With the coming Environment Council meeting the EU has the opportunity to:

Save the Kyoto Protocol - to ensure legally binding global action.
Commit to 40% domestic emissions cuts by 2020.
Scale up funding for developing countries.

We need swift and adequate action now for Europe and for the rest of the world.

Please take action now

Ask Chris Huhne now to push for strong European action on climate change.

Email Chris Huhne

Dear Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change,

I am writing to you about the Environment Council meeting on 10 October, which will discuss the European Union's next steps towards the Durban climate conference. I urge the EU to take a strong position on three key topics of the Durban agenda. • Save the Kyoto Protocol to ensure continued binding global action on climate change The EU needs to ensure that the Kyoto Protocol continues, to preserve the only legal framework with targets and timeline for emissions reductions. As the Kyoto Protocol doesn't include all countries, governments also need to lay down the pathway for a global legally binding treaty. For a credible pathway towards a low-carbon world, this global treaty must recognise developed countries' historical responsibility and must be in line with science and equity. • Deep domestic emissions cuts needed The EU's ambition to cut more emissions has not changed since Cancun, despite the latest scientific evidence showing the need for greater cuts and that the economic cost of making those cuts has been greatly reduced. The EU should increase its emissions reduction target to at least 40% by 2020 without offsetting. This would set the EU on the right track and would also catalyse many advantages, such as the early mover advantage, job creation and health benefits. Focus on making real emission cuts is needed, instead of promoting carbon markets and international offsetting. The latter merely allows developed countries to continue avoiding making domestic emission cuts whilst shifting the burden to the developing world. Carbon markets also remove any incentive to create a just transition to a more sustainable economy within Europe. • Scale up climate funding from 2013 to 2020 The EU must make sure that it provides adequate funding for developing countries. That means that the EU needs to scale up its share of climate finance contributions significantly to at least US$100 billion in 2020. These funds must be new and additional to existing aid, and should come from public sources. To provide this, the EU must mobilise the most promising additional sources of public finance. Further proposals such as a Financial Transaction Tax are on the table and I urge ministers to ensure that such measures will provide significant finance for climate change at home and abroad. In the wake of George Osborne's disappointing announcement on Monday, the UK has the chance to reaffirm its position as a leader within the EU in tackling climate change. I am convinced that the European Union can play a positive role in shaping the direction of the global climate change talks. This would mean leading from the front and setting the agenda - by adopting clear, ambitious and fair positions, well in time. Rather than scale back our own targets, I urge you to push for increased ambition at the upcoming Environment Council. I hope that you are able to take these issues to Luxembourg.

You can contact me by email (preferably - to save resources) or at the following address:

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Push for European action on climate change3 October 2011

Inaction can lead to catastrophic outcomes

Raise ambition

Please take action now

Email Chris Huhne

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Push for European action on climate change
3 October 2011