SPEECH/05/779

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stavros Dimas

 

 

Member of the European Commission, Responsible for Environment

 

 

 

 

Progress in Climate Change Negotiations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EU Troika Press Conference

Montréal, 8 December 2005

 

On several occasions in the last few months, world leaders agreed that this meeting in Montreal must advance global efforts against climate change. The pledges and commitments have been made.

I mentioned it yesterday, but let me repeat it again today: In July in Gleneagles, the G-8 leaders, including the US, agreed that “we will act with resolve and urgency now to meet our objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” They acknowledged that the “UNFCCC is the appropriate forum for negotiating future action on climate change”, and to use this conference to “advance these goals and objectives”.

A similar message came out of the UN Summit in New York in September. I quote, “We are committed to moving forward the global discussion on long-term cooperative action to address climate change, in accordance with the principles of the Convention. We stress the importance of the eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, to be held in Montreal, Canada, in November 2005.”

Climate change is a global threat that requires a global response. Citizens around the world expect us to be able to agree here in Montreal what we need to do to limit this threat.

Recent US opinion polls find that around 75% of American citizens are concerned about climate change. This week, the number of US mayors who have decided to implement the 7% cut in greenhouse gas emissions that the US would have had to reach under the Kyoto Protocol in their cities and towns has reached 192 representing 40 million Americans.

The fight against climate change requires a multilateral approach based on the Convention principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.”

In the EU, we are implementing this approach. Developed countries are collectively responsible for the gradual accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Therefore, we fully accept our responsibility that, as developed countries, we need to take the lead. We have implemented more than 30 measures under the European Climate Change Programme, which are starting to deliver results. There’s also much that EU Member States are doing on their own. We are also working together with other countries – we have strong cooperation on climate change with China, India and Russia, and we are working together with developing countries.

This approach works. EU-15 emissions were down by 1.7% compared to base year levels in 2003, while our economy grew by 28% from 1990-2003. Projections show that based on measures in the pipeline and the use of the Kyoto flexible mechanisms, the EU-15 will reach a 9.3% reduction in 2010, the median year of the 2008-2012 period. (EU-25 emissions stood at minus 8% compared to 1990 and will decrease by 11.3% during 2008-2012.)

In comparison, US emissions have increased by 13.3% since 1990 and are projected to rise by 32.4% in 2010.

So, on our side today we have minus 1.7%, compared to plus 13.3% in the US. In 2010, our emissions will be more than 9% below base year levels, while US emissions will be more than 30% above these levels.

 

(See graph in annex)