![[Logo Auswärtiges Amt]](/images/logo.gif){kind=logo}
EU: Billions for Climate Protection
Thanks to the European Union, it has become more probable that the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December will be a success. Meeting in Brussels on October 29 and 30, the heads of state and government agreed that all states should make a commitment in Copenhagen to the goal of keeping global warming to no more than two degrees Celsius. They also identified concrete proposals for the financing of climate protection measures.
-
- Enlarge image
- Foreign Minister Westerwelle and Chancellor Merkel walk to the conference room.
- (© REGIERUNGonline/Kugler)
Along with the USA and the world’s major emerging economies, the Europeans intend to pay a fair share of the sum required to finance activities in developing countries.
Experts put the cost of these measures at 100 billion euros a year. The EU intends to pick up the tab for about one-third of this sum, of which between 22 and 55 billion euros are to come from the public purse. The remaining sum is to come from private businesses, partly from CO2 emissions trading.
To enable developing countries to make a start on implementing climate change mitigation measures, the EU aims to provide five to seven billion euros over the next few years.
It will be taken into account what each of the countries can contribute, depending on their respective economic strength.
Europe leads the way in climate change mitigation
"We intend to put in place a political framework comprising a clear commitment to keeping global warming down to no more than two degrees,” declared Chancellor Angela Merkel. A legally binding agreement is thus needed as of 2013 following the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol. "The decision of the EU Council has made it clear what we, the European Union, consider to be a success,” the Chancellor continued.
"Europe will continue to lead the way in climate change mitigation,” stated Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. But the Europeans will not let other parts of the world ignore their obligations to contribute to climate protection.
Proposals must be put on the table
Merkel underscored the fact that the EU will adopt a flexible approach during negotiations, conditional on other states too being prepared to accept realistic commitments. "It depends what the other participants put on the table in Copenhagen,” the Chancellor said. She did, however, assure her audience that the Europeans "will be doing their bit.”
The Chancellor is convinced that binding climate protection targets and agreements on how the international community intends to achieve these are even more important than the issue of financing. "We need an agreement with targets and mechanisms for a global CO2 emissions trading system,” she declared.
Now that the European nations have come to an agreement, the EU has a clear mandate to negotiate with the USA, China and India.
The last obstacle to the Treaty of Lisbon removed
"The entry into force is now within reach,” Merkel said. There is now a good chance that the project can be brought to a successful conclusion.
The heads of state and government agreed on an opt-out clause for the Czech Republic.
