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Commission says increased climate action will benefit Europe’s economy and environment

30 January 2012

Today the European Commission published a long-awaited paper that outlines the numerous benefits increased climate action would bring Europe. Analysis of "Options to move beyond 20% greenhouse gas emission reductions: Member State results" finds that increased EU climate ambition will deliver great financial, health and environmental benefits for all member states. The study, which was completed at the request of EU environment ministers, shows that moving beyond 20% emission reductions by the year 2020 is feasible, beneficial and much cheaper than previously thought.

“This study is important because it offers Member States a way to ensure greater stability and resilience against oil price and supply fluctuations, which in turn will create stronger economies and a healthier environment in all of Europe,” said Julia Michalak, EU Climate Policy Officer at CAN Europe.

“The Commission’s findings remove any doubt about the benefits of stronger European-wide climate action,” Michalak continued. “Higher targets will benefit the EU’s citizens and economy as well as poorer countries already experiencing the effects of climate change in other parts of the world.”

CAN Europe urges all 27 EU member states to act on this analysis and support a shift towards a more ambitious target by increasing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all sources.

NGO Briefing: increased EU climate ambition +impacts on Member States

19 January 2012

This briefing, prepared by Climate Action Network Europe, WWF and Greenpeace, outlines the NGOs’ response and recommendations to this paper.

The European Commission is due to publish a working paper entitled “Analysis of options to move beyond 20% greenhouse gas emission reductions: Member State results”. The latest draft of the paper outlines the costs and benefits for individual EU member states enhancing their climate action to a collective 30 percent emission reduction target for 2020. It concludes that increasing the EU climate ambition will deliver great financial, health and environmental benefits for all member states, including €7bn extra government revenues per year from a reinvigorated European carbon market. It will also propose a series of options to accelerate clean energy investments in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

Is it a Polish Presidency or a Coal-ish Presidency of the EU at this COP!?

01 December 2011

Did you really believe that Poland supports a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol just because of its promises about climate protection? If you answered “yes,” you might feel disappointed today. If not, you won’t be surprised. Nice words were spoken in Durban about the future of Kyoto and the firm Polish stance on the need to have a global, legally binding agreement. However, their speech rang hollow with the news that the Polish EU Presidency decided to sponsor the “European Coal Days” in Brussels.