Archived press release

Europe fails to show climate leadership

12 December 2008

The European Union's failure today [Friday 12 December] to agree on effective measures to tackle climate change has been slammed by Friends of the Earth.

Friends of the Earth's climate campaigner, Robin Webster said:

"This could have been one of European Union's finest moments, but once again short-sighted national self-interest has been put ahead of the long-term safety of the planet."

"Huge loopholes allow big energy-users to carry on polluting and nations to buy offset 'credits' from abroad."

"This compromise deal will do little to encourage international agreement on climate change. We need real political leadership, and we need it fast."

"The industrialised world must cut its emissions by 40 per cent by 2020 if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change. We will all pay a heavy price if we fail."

Friends of the Earth says that the EU's climate deal is inadequate for numerous reasons, including:

• The targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions are far too small.
Climate scientists say that industrialised nations must cut their emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2020 to avoid catastrophic climate change. EU leaders have agreed a 20 per cent cut. A previous commitment to a 30 percent reduction if a global climate deal is reached has now been fudged. The final text is weak and ambiguous on this matter.

• Member states can avoid cutting emissions at home by buying carbon
reductions from abroad
Under the so-called "effort-sharing" law - which sets national emissions targets for sectors not included in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme - about two thirds of reductions could be met by carbon credits from projects outside Europe.
Earlier this week green and development groups issued a call to MEPs to reject the effort sharing law when they vote on the deal next week.

Overall, at least half of the emissions cuts planned under the deal can be met through offsetting. This means that the EU is only committing to about a quarter of the cuts its needs to achieve in order to avoid catastrophic climate change

• Under the Emissions Trading Scheme, massive concessions were made to
manufacturing industries, which will mean they are handed out rights to pollute.
Following lobbying by Poland, their polluting power sector was awarded huge exemptions from the legislation.

• The EU also abjectly failed to make binding commitments to provide funds to
help developing countries to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change, and to reduce the growth in their emissions - a move which has threatened the collapse of the ongoing UN climate negotiations in Poland.

There was one positive aspect to the climate change package. The EU has agreed to ensure that 20 per cent of the bloc's energy will come from renewable sources by 2020.
www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/eu_renewables_directive_09122008.html

Notes:

1. A briefing on the final days of the Energy Package is available at
www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/energy_package_dec08.pdf

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust