Committee of the Regions

Transcription

1 European Union The EU s external action on climate change: main challenges and issues Welcome to the Nicola Di Pietrantonio Committee of the Regions Committee of the Barcelona Regions

2 Key dates 1990: CC on European Council agenda; 1st IPCC Assessment Report 1992: UNCED and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations 1994: UNFCCC enters into force 1995: 2nd IPCC Assessment Report 1997: Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC (eif in 2005) 2000: launch of the European Climate Change Programme (ECCP) 2001: 3rd IPCC Assessment Report 2005: EC Communication: Winning the battle against climate change; recommendations endorsed by the European Council 2007: Energy Package (jan); Bali Conference (dec) 4th IPCC Assessment Report 2008: Energy and Climate Package (jan); Poznan Conference (dec) 2009: Copenhagen UN Climate Change Conference (dec)

3 Principles of the EU s external action Climate change is an element of CFSP Multilateral agreements Global leadership Selective inclusion of countries and sectors in CC negotiations Target-based approach Cooperation and Partnership Streamlining climate change in other policy areas

4 Why cooperate? To achieve European strategic objectives: Building political will and trust Building partners capacity Ensure aid effectiveness and meet Millennium Development Goals Minimizing security issues Ensuring burden sharing while ensuring equitable nature of efforts Guaranteeing European interests in a global context

5 Partnerships OECD countries (USA, Canada, Japan, Australia) Other UNFCCC Annex I countries (Russian Federation, Ukraine) Major emerging economies (China, India, Brazil, South Africa) Renewed focus on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Regional groupings (ACP, ASEM, ASEAN, GCC, LAC) Other developing countries

6 Partnerships: China EU-China Partnership on Climate Change (2005) - provides a high-level political framework to further strengthen the cooperation by setting out concrete new actions to tackle climate change - foresees cooperation on the development, deployment and transfer of low carbon technology, including advanced near-zero-emissions coal technology through CSS EU-China CDM Facilitation Project (2005) EU-China Energy and Environment Programme (2002) Natural Forest Management Programme in China (2003) Other collaborative and demonstration projects (TOCSING project, etc.)

7 Partnerships: India EU-India Strategic Partnership Action Plan (2005) EU-India Initiative on Clean Development and Climate Change foresees cooperation in the following areas: - ensure access to and dissemination of clean technologies - increase funding and promote public-private partnerships for research and development of cleaner technologies - Reduce price gaps between cleaner and less efficient technologies - CDM - adaptation to climate change and integration of adaptation concerns into sustainable development strategies - political dialogue on international action to tackle climate change

8 Different parties, different positions Source: European Commission

9 The way ahead in The UN Conferences on Climate Change to be held in Poznań and Copenhagen must overcome a series of key issues if a successful post-kyoto agreement has to be reached

10 Issues for international negotiations (I) Limited involvement of major or growing emitters Industrialized countries commitment is key to developing countries participation Who is committed to what? > Evolutions in development and emission patterns Time constraints Increase in mitigation and/or adaptation support may not be traded for sustained economic growth in many countries

11 Issues for international negotiations (II) Weaknesses of CDM to be targeted to ensure effectiveness Governance cycle problems The problem of conditionality Target-based approach may not be perceived as efficient as a policy and measures approach How to ensure appropriate follow up to Bali s building blocs: the problem of financing No sanctions for non-compliance Contingencies can cause changes in political priorities (ex: financial crisis)

12 Additional issues in int.l cooperation Technology change and transfer international research is needed (demonstration, quantification, strategy development) Measures to tackle deforestation Energy efficiency standards Biofuels sustainability regime Flexibility Carbon leakage Assistance with adaptation (follows)

13 The way forward at global level: Adaptation EU Vision of Adaptation Adaptation is not a substitute for mitigation Integration of adaptation into all relevant decision-making processes at all levels of society Catalytic role of UNFCCC Effective adaptation is responsibility of all countries: developed and developing Shared challenges require shared solutions EU Proposal: A Framework for Action which an agreement that coherently sets out the responsibilities of all parties involved

14 The way forward at global level: Adaptation EU proposal post-2012: A Framework for Adaptation Action Basic principles - Effective adaptation is the responsibility of all countries - Adaptation is relevant to decision making at all levels of society Developing Countries Responsibilities - Producing and implement climate resilient plans and budgets - Prioritising adaptation measures - Creating enabling environment for adaptation responses (policy, legislative, institutional) - Ensuring a focus on the poorest and most vulnerable - Sharing experiences, knowledge and data to enable others to adapt Developed Countries Responsibilities - Improving access to new, additional and predictable financial flows - Supporting capacity building efforts in developing countries - Giving priority to the poorest and most vulnerable - Delivering on mitigation commitments to reduce the scale and costs of adaptation - Integrating adaptation into bilateral & multilateral development programmes - Supporting availability of climate information, tools, methods and models =>A key challenge for development policies: mainstreaming adaptation to climate change. Source: European Commission

15 Tools to promote EU objectives (I) International negotiations in multilateral fora (UNFCCC etc.) Other forms of high level diplomacy for framework setting and ground level implementation Conditionality in assistance and trade agreements (ex: biofuels - CCP) ETS creation of a credible global carbon market Partnerships - China, India etc. - Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) with LDC and SIDS - Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument (READI)

16 Tools to promote EU objectives (II) Strategic initiatives vis-à-vis developing countries: - Action Plan on Climate Change in the Context of Development Cooperation ( ) - Supporting National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) in LDC - Advancing Capacity to Support Climate Change Adaptation (ACCCA) Project - Climate Change Capacity Development Mechanism (C3D) Project - EU Energy Initiative for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development (EUEI) - ACP-EU Energy Facility - Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund (GEEREF) - Capacity Building for CDM initiatives Other initiatives in the fields of: - Sustainable forestry (Tropical Forests and Climate Change Adaptation Project - TroFCCA) - Climate research (GAINS-Asia; CarboAfrica Project, EU-South America Network for Climate Assessment and Impact Studies Netwrok - CLARIS) Mediterranean Renewable Energy Partnership (MEDREP) Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP)

17 Implications for regions and cities Progressive involvement in the EU policy making (CoR, networks, external bilateral contacts and cooperation projects, regional associations, Covenant of Mayors) Progressive re-orientation of decentralized and development cooperation policies by sub-state actors New funds made available under the external assistance budget lines for mitigation and adaptation Towns and regions as new laboratories for EE, RE, CC initiatives which could eventually be transferred Development of new skills and planning capabilities (ex: UKCIP)

18 The contribution of the CoR Voices local and regional governments view on climate change related issues in the EU decision making process (70% of EU laws are implemented at local/regional level). Has issued opinions on: The EC Energy Package (2007) Limiting Climate Change to 2 C and the Inclusion of aviation in the ETS Green Paper: Options for adapting to climate change in Europe (2007) Third Legislative Package on European Electricity and Gas Markets (2008) Directive on the Promotion of Renewable Energies (2008) Directive on the Revision of ETS (2008) Is currently discussing opinions on: How regions contribute to achieving European climate and energy goals + Covenant of Mayors initiative (Nov 2008) Revision of the Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings (2009) White Paper on adaptation to adverse impact of climate change (2009)

19 The End Thank you for your attention