EU focus on climate change. European Commission

Transcription

1 EU focus on climate change European Commission

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3 EU focus on climate change European Commission Directorate-General for the Environment

4 A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server ( Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2002 ISBN European Communities, 2002 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Printed in Belgium PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

5 3 Preface According to EU Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström, climate change is one of the most threatening issues we are facing today ( 1 ). Much evidence suggests that the earth s climate is already changing as a direct result of rising greenhouse gas emissions around the world. Most greenhouse gases occur naturally in limited amounts and are a vital component of the earth s protective atmosphere. But they are also a major by-product of industrial activity, and this is why greenhouse gas emissions have been rising steadily since the industrial revolution in the 19th century. Factories, cars, trucks, private households, and similar sources that consume large quantities of fossil fuels like oil, natural gas and coal all produce greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is perhaps the best known, but there are others including water vapour, ozone, methane, and nitrous oxide. When released into the atmosphere, these gases form a kind of protective blanket around the earth, which slows down the rate at which heat from the planet s surface radiates out into space. This process drives up temperatures on the ground, creating the phenomenon popularly known as global warming, but more accurately termed climate change. Scientists warn that climate change is likely to have a seriously damaging impact on the environment and could cause major economic and social problems. They also insist that the harmful effects of the phenomenon will keep on ( 1 ) Margot Wallström, speech to the European Climate Change Programme Conference, 2 July 2001, Brussels.

6 4 increasing until world governments take concrete steps to stop and then reverse them. In other words, doing nothing will make the problem worse. According to a panel of leading international experts ( 1 ), average surface temperatures around the world could rise by between 1.4 and 5.8 C by the end of the century if business as usual continues. Faced with this mounting evidence of the harmful effects of climate change, the European Union is convinced that the world must take urgent action to tackle the problem. That is why the EU has been at the forefront of international efforts to deal with climate change for well over a decade. ( 1 ) Figures put forward by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

7 5 Fighting climate change 10 years of negotiations The international community first began to take climate change seriously at the end of 1990, when talks started at the United Nations to draw up a worldwide agreement on tackling the problem. Those talks led to the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in May UN Member States were formally invited to begin signing the UNFCCC a month later at the so-called Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The convention aimed to stabilise CO 2 emissions in industrialised countries at 1990 levels by the year 2000, set up global monitoring and reporting mechanisms to keep track of greenhouse gas emissions and establish national programmes for reducing emissions. The UNFCCC entered into force in March 1994, after being ratified by 50 countries. It is now approaching universal membership (more than 180 parties). The next important step came in 1997 in the Japanese city of Kyoto, where the UNFCCC signatories agreed on a protocol that set a number of binding quantitative targets for global greenhouse gas cuts. Under the Kyoto agreement, the developed world agreed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 5 % below 1990 levels between 2008 and The European Union s 15 Member States showed their commitment to this process when they agreed to contribute to the global target by making a bigger cut, of 8 % below 1990 levels over the same period. This overall EU figure will be met via a so-called burden-sharing agreement, which sets out individual emissions targets for each of the Union s Member States.

8 6 In 1998, the parties to the UNFCCC, this time meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, adopted an action plan for putting Kyoto into practice. They also pledged to draw up the concrete measures needed to make the plan work within the next two years. But when the signatories met in November 2000 in the Dutch capital of The Hague to finalise this next important stage in the fight against climate change, they were unable to reach a consensus, and the talks ended without an agreement. Then in March 2001, the UNFCCC suffered the most serious setback in its history. United States President George W. Bush announced that his country would no longer back the Kyoto Protocol. As the US is the world s largest single producer of greenhouse gases by far, many analysts said at the time that Bush s move made the agreement worthless. But the EU insisted that the agreement could and should be saved, and managed to convince most of the other UNFCCC signatories to continue their support for the Kyoto Protocol. The EU s determination paid off, and in July 2001 all States meeting this time in Bonn, Germany, managed to clinch a political agreement that would allow them to start putting the 1997 deal into practice (without the US). The Bonn signatories met again in November 2001 in Marrakech, Morocco, to turn their provisional agreement into a legally binding deal. Kyoto is scheduled, finally, to enter into force at the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in September 2002, marking the 10th anniversary of the Rio Earth Summit.

9 7 Key dates in the fight against climate change December 1990 Negotiations begin on UN plan to fight climate change May/June 1992 UNFCCC adopted and presented for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio March 1994 Entry into force of the UNFCCC December 1997 (COP3) Kyoto Protocol adopted November 1998 (COP4) Buenos Aires action plan on implementing Kyoto November 2000 (COP6) Failed talks in The Hague on implementing Buenos Aires plan March 2001 US backs out of Kyoto July 2001 (COP6-bis) Bonn talks break The Hague deadlock November 2001 (COP7) Marrakech talks finalise Bonn agreement September 2002 UN World Summit on Sustainable Development (Rio+10) in Johannesburg, South Africa, plans to announce the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto greenhouse gas emissions targets (percentage compared to 1990 levels by ) Developed Overall world 5 % European Union 8 % Individual EU Member States Belgium 7.5 % Luxembourg 28 % Denmark 21 % Netherlands 6 % Germany 21 % Austria 13 % Greece +25 % Portugal +27 % Spain +15 % Finland 0 % France 0 % Sweden +4 % Ireland +13 % United Kingdom 12.5 % Italy 6.5 % These contributions are differentiated to take account of expectations for economic growth, the energy mix and the industrial structure of the respective Member State. Sources: UN Kyoto Protocol and EU burden-sharing targets agreed by the Environment Council on 16 June 1998.

10 8 The issues While people living in some of the world s colder regions might welcome a warmer planet, most scientists agree that climate change could have potentially disastrous consequences. Sea levels are already rising, bringing severe flooding to low-lying areas many of them in some of the world s poorest regions. Climate change could have a very damaging effect on agriculture in areas already faced with drought and desertification. It may also reduce water flows in some places and spark major public health problems, including the spread of tropical diseases such as malaria to wider parts of the world. Many leading experts, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), say we are already starting to see evidence of the problem, arguing that the increasing number of extreme weather events that have affected different countries in recent years are directly linked to climate change. With only 5 % of the world s population, the EU is responsible for 15 % of global greenhouse gas emissions. Richer,

11 9 industrialised nations have a duty to take the lead in cutting the emissions that could have the most serious impact on developing countries. Margot Wallström Environment Commissioner Climate change could simply destroy any hopes for economic and social progress in many parts of the world, besides its dramatic environmental impacts, warned European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström recently. The sad truth is that the developing countries, which are least responsible for climate change, are nonetheless likely to be those most affected. The EU response Faced with this rising evidence of the dangers of climate change, the European Commission believes moves to tackle the problem should be based on the precautionary principle, which is also enshrined in the UNFCCC (Article 3.3). This states that even if a particular threat is not 100 % proven, measures to tackle the problem should be taken if the best available evidence shows there is a potential danger. It is true that the only way to know for certain about the long-term effects of climate change would be to wait and see how the phenomenon affects the planet. But if we do that, it will be too late to put the process into reverse if the consequences are as severe as most experts now predict. The Commission and EU governments are convinced that the world must apply the precautionary principle in tackling climate change and start taking concrete action to deal with the problem now.

12 10 International agreement on the dangers of climate change With the exception of the US, most of the world s governments agree with the European view that urgent measures are needed to reduce climate change. Following intense diplomatic efforts by EU representatives, all the key parties to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, except the US, signed a political deal in the German city of Bonn in July 2001, which set out clearly what these measures should be. This provisional agreement was formalised four months later at international talks in Marrakech, Morocco. The Marrakech accord provided a solid basis for action against climate change and paves the way for ratification and entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol. Nobody is pretending that the task ahead will be easy, but the 2001 talks marked an important step in the ongoing international campaign. EU action The EU has always been at the forefront of the fight against climate change and already has in place many measures designed to tackle the problem. But the European Commission believes that while Member States have made important reductions in their emissions of greenhouse gases, they still need to do much more. Without significant new action on climate change, the Union will never be able to honour the pledge it made in Kyoto to reduce its emissions to 8 % below 1990 levels by 2012 at the latest, the Commission warns.

13 11 Monitoring EU greenhouse gas emissions In 1993, EU governments agreed to set up a monitoring mechanism to keep track of their efforts to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Under the scheme, all Member States provide data on their emissions, which is used to compile regular progress reports on the Union s overall efforts to tackle climate change. A report from 2000 ( 1 ) indicated that EU greenhouse gas emissions fell between 1990 and But the report also pointed out that this apparently positive message was due in large part to two one-off events that are unlikely to be repeated. The first was the shift from coal-powered electricity generation to gas-fuelled power stations in the UK, and the second was a major reduction in activity in the former East Germany, directly linked to that region s economic transition. The latest inventory published by the Copenhagen-based European Environment Agency showed that overall greenhouse gas emissions in the EU fell by 4 % between 1990 and This reduction takes the EU half-way to its Kyoto target. (1) Report under Council Decision 1999/296/EC, amending Decision 93/389/EEC, For a monitoring mechanism of Community greenhouse gas emissions (COM(2000) 749), November 2000.

14 12 Greenhouse gas emissions in CO 2 equivalents ( 1 ) Change Change Targets Distance- (MtCO 2 eq)( 2 ) (MtCO 2 eq)( 2 ) under to-target (%) ( 3 )(%) Kyoto Protocol indicator (DTI) and EU burden (index points sharing (%) = %) Belgium Denmark ( 4 ) ( 4.6 ) (4.9) Germany Greece Spain France Ireland Italy Luxembourg Netherlands Austria Portugal Finland Sweden United Kingdom EU total ( 1 ) Figures from the report For a monitoring mechanism of Community greenhouse gas emissions (COM(2001) 708) adopted on 30 November ( 2 ) MtCO 2 eq: Million tonnes of carbon dioxide, or its equivalents in terms of its atmospheric effects ( 3 ) For the fluorinated gases most Member States have selected a base year other than 1990 (namely 1995), as allowed for under the Kyoto Protocol. However, 1990 emissions data have been used for the base year for all gases, for consistency reasons. ( 4 ) For Denmark, data that reflect adjustments for electricity exchange in 1990 are given in brackets. For the EU total, non-adjusted Danish emissions data have been used. Source: European Environment Agency (2001).

15 13 The European climate change programme The European climate change programme (ECCP), launched in June 2000, is also designed to help the EU meet its Kyoto targets. It evolved in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, including environmental NGOs, industry and governments, as well as seven technical working groups covering transport, agriculture, industry and other sectors. It has identified more than 40 measures that could if fully implemented cut emissions by twice the required level. Those already in the pipeline include directives on the energy performance of buildings, biofuels, energy-efficient public procurement, and fluorinated gases. A further 11 initiatives cover among other things plans to strengthen research on climate change. Also, 22 measures for longer-term development include promoting heat production from renewable energy sources and technological improvements to vehicles and fuels. In July 2001, the Commission published its first review of the ECCP ( 1 ), with specific proposals for implementing the programme, which forms the framework for the EU s efforts to introduce innovative strategies to tackle climate change. ( 1 ) Communication on the implementation of the first phase of the European climate change programme (COM(2001) 580).

16 14 The sixth environment action programme and EU enlargement Tackling climate change is also a priority of the EU s sixth environment action programme (6EAP), Our future, our choice, launched in 2001 and currently under discussion in the EU institutions. This sets out environmental targets for the next 10 years ( ), and the action required to achieve them. It calls for a global reduction in emissions of % on 1990 levels by 2020, and total cuts of 70 % in the long term. The 6EAP highlights the importance of extending measures to cut emissions to the countries of central and eastern Europe, due to join the EU in the near future. Old-fashioned technologies for generating energy created heavy pollution in the post-war years, but during the last decade emissions have gone down considerably in many countries. The improvement has been due in part to the decline of traditional industries, and in part to legislative measures and the energy efficiency of new industries. However, with increasing economic development, there is a danger that some of these gains will be lost, for example as traffic growth creates more emissions. For the candidate countries, joining the Union will be a good opportunity to tackle these problems, as they will need to adopt environmental standards to conform to EU laws known as the environmental acquis. In addition, the candidate countries are already cooperating very closely with the Union on implementing the Kyoto Protocol.

17 15 Sustainable development Overcoming climate change is a key element of the strategy to encourage sustainable development in the EU, adopted by Union leaders at their meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden, in July The 1987 Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The new strategy recognises that economic growth, social cohesion and environmental protection must go hand in hand as the three crucial principles of future policy decisions.

18 16 Winning the support of business The battle against climate change will only be won if European industries support it. The business community is wary about any planned EU environmental rules that it fears could damage the ability of Europe s firms to compete with foreign business rivals. But industry has nevertheless started to take the question seriously. In 1998, for example, Europe s carmakers pledged to develop a new generation of engines that will considerably reduce CO 2 emissions from new passenger vehicles between 2008 and The promise was particularly important because it was a voluntary move by the car industry. The Commission strongly believes that voluntary action by EU companies is an effective way of fighting industrial pollution, although it is prepared to propose binding legislation to control emissions if the business community fails to act. Companies are beginning to understand that adopting clean technologies makes sense both in cutting costs and in promoting a better image and winning customers and clients. According to the European Round Table of Industrialists, market signals can also play a large part in encouraging companies to meet targets. ( 1 ) ( 1 ) Climate change: how government and industry can work together, a report from the European Round Table of Industrialists, 2000.

19 17 Fighting climate change means business opportunities The EU believes that tackling climate change will offer companies new commercial opportunities. Once Kyoto is in place, for example, a global market in green technologies is likely to blossom. Some of the EU s more innovative companies have recognised this potential. The Danish wind turbine industry has already captured around 50 % of the global market in wind-powered electricity generation. This share was worth around EUR million in 2000, and the market for wind turbine components is worth a further EUR 135 million. The Commission estimates that Danish jobs relied directly or indirectly on the wind turbine industry in The pursuit of sustainable development provides the incentive for technological innovation and investment, and the EU gives support to industry and research institutions developing green products and services. Growing public awareness of the dangers of climate change creates an expanding market for environmentally friendly goods and services, and this in turn generates jobs and growth. First movers reap benefits in terms of increased efficiency and the associated cost savings as well as innovative and competitive products and services, Commissioner Wallström told a recent meeting of business leaders ( 1 ). ( 1 ) Speech on Combating climate change: the EU strategy to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Brussels,26 October 2001.

20 18 The future The European Union has arrived at a crucial point in the fight against climate change. After nearly a decade of international talks that have served to identify the problem and suggest possible remedies, the time has now come for global action. EU governments must pursue practical measures to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions if they are to honour the promises they made in 1997 in Kyoto. The year 2008 is not very far away and time is running out. The protocol made provision for three flexible mechanisms to help industrialised countries to meet their targets. These are: joint implementation investing in projects designed to cut emissions in other industrialised countries; the clean development mechanism (CDM) funding emission-reduction projects in developing countries; emissions trading whereby lighter polluters can sell their excess capacity to countries that produce more emissions. Another controversial proposal was for industrialised countries to be able to offset their targets through the creation of carbon sinks, such as forests and soils that absorb CO 2. The EU believes that sinks should not become a loophole enabling rich countries to avoid cutting domestic pollution. In October 2001, the Commission proposed a series of new measures designed to ensure that the Union honours its Kyoto commitments. First, it put forward a proposal for ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by the European Community (a party in itself) and called on all EU governments to ensure that they have completed national procedures to ratify

21 19 by 14 June 2002 ( 1 ). This will allow the EC and its Member States formally to ratify the protocol in time for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in September Without ratification by at least 55 countries, responsible for 55 % of 1990 s greenhouse gas emissions, Kyoto cannot enter into force. But if EU Member States ratify the protocol in time for the Johannesburg talks, it will send an important signal to other industrialised countries that Kyoto is the world s best chance for reversing climate change, and that they cannot ignore it. After the agreement reached in Marrakech, signs are good that Russia and Japan will also ratify the protocol, enabling its entry into force. The Commission s second important proposal focused on the details of an internal emissions trading system within the EU ( 2 ). This scheme comes into force in 2005, and the first phase will cover large factories, power stations and similar installations, which are likely to produce about 46 % of CO 2 emissions by Member States will grant them annual permits limiting their maximum CO 2 output. Those that manage to stay below their limit will be allowed to sell their remaining emissions credits to other factories. The EU believes that by turning CO 2 into a tradable commodity, the system will encourage firms to reduce the quantity of gas they emit into the atmosphere. In 2004, the Commission will consider extending the scheme to cover more gases and other sectors. In October 2001, the Commission also reaffirmed its support for the ECCP as the framework for future efforts to introduce innovative strategies to tackle climate change. ( 1 ) Proposal for ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by the European Community (COM(2001) 579) ( 2 ) Proposal for a framework directive for greenhouse gas emissions trading within the European Community (COM(2001) 581).

22 20 More hard work ahead A great deal of progress has been made in the fight against climate change, particularly taking into account the US announcement that it will not honour Kyoto. But much more work is needed. Within the EU, the stakeholder dialogue that is at the heart of the ECCP must continue to come up with practical, effective and innovative ideas. Member States must put into practice the many initiatives already on the table. At international level, the EU must and will continue to play a leading role in ensuring that commitments made in Kyoto are honoured. It must also take a long-term view, looking beyond the targets set for 2012 and seeking new pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions even further. In Bonn, the parties to the UNFCCC recognised the global responsibility to help developing countries move rapidly towards cleaner technology, by agreeing on additional resources and setting up three new funds. The EU, together with other developed countries including Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland and Iceland, also issued a political declaration promising to pay their fair share and increase spending to help the less developed nations deal with climate change. An annual pledge of EUR 450 million will be reviewed in No matter what action is taken now, the quantity of greenhouse gases already released into the atmosphere means that some degree of climate change is inevitable. The EU plans to help Member States adapt to new conditions through their city planning, agriculture and public health policies, for example, and prepare emergency services to deal with hazards or disasters caused by abnormal weather conditions.

23 21 Conclusion Faced with the danger of climate change, the EU is convinced that the status quo is simply not an option. Without urgent, concerted action, the problem will continue to get worse with potentially disastrous consequences. That is why the European Union has consistently taken the lead in international moves to tackle climate change and why it will continue to develop this strategy for as long as it takes to guarantee a world for ourselves and our children where everyone can grow, breathe and live in safety.

24 22 Further information The Directorate-General for the Environment is the arm of the European Commission responsible for matters of environment, civil protection and radiation protection. The Environment DG produces regular reports and other publications covering the full spectrum of environmental themes, including climate change. Information on European environment policies can be found at the Environment DG web site on the Europa server: Further information about climate change and a list of related links can be found at: Questions about European environmental policies should be sent to: European Commission Environment DG Information Centre BU9 0/11 B-1049 Brussels envinfo@cec.eu.int

25 European Commission EU focus on climate change Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities pp. 21 x 21 cm ISBN

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