A series of ice statues symbolizing the dangers of global warming welcomed delegates to the climate change conference taking place in Poznań this week. The aim of the meeting is to get a post-Kyoto deal on fighting global warming. The deadline for reaching agreement on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol expires in December 2009.

 

A group of 36 MEPs were there to consider issues including who will pay for a global climate change incentive and how developing countries should adapt in line with developed nations.

 

The meeting comes just ahead of the Parliament's December plenary, when MEPs are expected to agree a series of stringent Europe-wide rules on cutting CO2 emissions and improving energy efficiency

 

 

Italian Socialist and chairman of the EP's Temporary Committee on Climate Change, Guido Sacconi, said the Polish conference was "an opportunity to meet and influence delegates from around the world."

 

Fellow delegate, Slovenian Christian democrat, Romana Jordan Cizelj said, "developed and developing countries have different responsibilities and different capacities. We have to have a strong sense that we all are important and involved in the process".

 

 

Three of the six proposals in the EU's energy and climate package have already been agreed including renewables, CO2 emissions and fuel quality.

 

The greenhouse gas emission trading system (ETS) and geological storage of carbon dioxide are still being negotiated by the European Parliament and EU countries

 

UPDATE - 17 April 2009: The climate change package was adopted by the EP in plenary session, Wednesday the 17 December. It contains six provisions concerning the emission trading system, the reduction of CO2-emissions, the storage of CO2 emissions underground, the development of renewable energy, the CO2-emissions of cars and the quality of fuels.

 

It wants climate change issues to be incorporated in all spheres and policies in order to keep the rise in the average global temperature below 2°C and hopefully avoid irreparable damage to the planet.

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German Christian Democrat Karl-Heinz Florenz, who drafted the report, said climate change has to stay at the top of everyone's agenda: "Even in economically hard times, fighting climate change, pursuing a sustainable economy and the reduction of global warming to a maximum of two degrees must remain priorities for European politics."

 

He said that new European infrastructure should be built on greener technologies and practices. "If Europe is able to take the lead in combating climate change, this first-mover-advantage could prove a real motor for economic development, and thousands of jobs could be created."

 

The vote on the final report is scheduled for the February plenary session. The committee plans to publish a public-friendly version within three months of its adoption in plenary.

 

MEPs will discuss proposed legislation on cutting greenhouse gases, increasing the share of renewable energies and increasing the share of biofuels in energy consumption on Thursday during the plenary. 

 

UPDATE - 17 April 2009: The report of the temporary climate change committee was adopted on 4 February 2009.

 

 

 

"As a fast growing economy China is also rapidly becoming one of the biggest polluters," said Mr Sacconi. "Establishing a new international climate change regime after the expiry of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012 will only be possible if countries like China or India which do not have emission reduction commitments under the current Kyoto Protocol are part of such an agreement."

 

 

In 1990 China's CO2 emissions were around 50% of US (the biggest producer) levels. Now China lies just behind the US and is expected to overtake it as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases. With a booming economy and 1.3 billion people, China is the world's largest consumer of coal and oil consumption has doubled in the last 20 years. However, as a developing country it is not required to cut emissions under the 2002 Kyoto Protocol.

 

"China is strongly committed in the fight against climate change and to engage in the area of emissions reductions, energy-saving, and energy-efficiency. At the same time, it acknowledges the importance of cooperating with industrialised countries on technology and technology transfer, as well as the need for financial assistance in this field. These are certainly extremely positive messages," said Mr Sacconi.

 

However, he added, "One critical issue remains: the fact that, at this stage, China still considers that the current structure of the Kyoto Protocol should be maintained and developing countries, including emerging economies, should have no quantitative commitments."

 

 

"China has recently adopted a Climate Change Programme and is strongly committed to improve its energy efficiency. Our visit to Beijing...allowed us to establish personal contacts with government officials, members of the People's National Congress, as well as business and civil society representatives and to better understand the Chinese position towards climate change," Mr Sacconi said.

 

The draftsman for the Committee, German Christian Democrat Karl-Heinz Florenz said, "From our discussions with representatives from the National People's Congress, from the government and also from civil society, we understood that climate change is one of the political priorities for the Chinese authorities. I have the impression that the Chinese authorities are adopting and implementing legislation to successfully start the fight against climate change."

 

The recently-adopted Climate Change Programme is very ambitious with targets to cut energy consumption 20% and increase the share of renewables to 10% of energy supplies by 2010. "Of course the challenge now lies with its implementation, which will have to be closely monitored", Mr Florenz said.

 

 

"We were happy to learn that for China, like the EU, the UN Climate Change Convention is the only appropriate forum for the international negotiations on climate change. The Chinese authorities also share the EU view that the negotiations for such a new agreement should be concluded by 2009 at the latest, thus avoiding any gap between the current commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol and the future international framework", Mr Florenz added.  

 

Stressing the need to build partnerships and involve new world powers like China and India in the fight against climate change, Mr Florenz said: "This is why the EP attaches such importance to environmental foreign policy". Convinced that China will be a close and key partner of the EU in the negotiations for a post-2012 agreement, he added: "It is in our mutual interest to succeed in the fight against climate change".

 

The visit was the first of a series to non-EU countries meant to develop parliamentary contacts and forge a strong alliance to address climate change issues.

 

In November 2008 China announced a multi-billion economic stimulus package, with quarter of it allocated for environmental and renewable energy initiatives.

 

 

Temporary Committee on Climate Change  has urged the EU to secure "by 2009 at the latest" an international agreement that includes: binding emissions targets for all industrialised countries, a global "cap and trade" system and instruments for clean technology transfer - to allow developing countries access to environmentally friendly technologies.

 

MEPs also call on industrialised countries to lead by example and commit themselves to reducing emissions "by at least 30% by 2020 and 60% - 80% by 2050 compared to 1990".

 

 

 

Italian MEP Guido Sacconi (PES) - who chairs Parliament's Climate Change committee - welcomed the involvement of the US and developing countries. He was also satisfied with a footnote reference to reduction targets mentioned in a report for the UN's International Panel on Climate Change. Speaking on Monday back in Brussels he described the talks as "emotional" with "high points of drama". In a joint statement on behalf of the EP delegation with Alejo Vidal Quadras (EPP-ED), they said the lack of clear targets on emission cuts by industrialised countries was "somewhat short of the mark".

 

 

Delegates were in Bali to discuss the international mechanism to deal with climate change after the Kyoto protocol expires in 2012. For a new accord to come into effect immediately after this it needs to be agreed by 2009 to allow timely ratification.

 

Bali may have failed in setting firm targets on emissions reduction, as well as failing to reach a decision on how developed and developing countries should share the burden of curbing emissions. However, it did set a roadmap for future talks, launch projects that could lead to reforestation as well as launching a UN fund to help poor nations cope with the effects of climate change.

 

Hailing the start of the Bali process Parliament's climate change rapporteur Karl-Heinz Florenz (EPP-ED), said that "the vicious circle of the US, China and India pointing at each other to make commitments has been broken".

 

 

The key role of the United States now and in the future was underlined by another Bali delegate, Dutch MEP Johannes Blokland (IND/DEM). He said that he expected "the next US presidential elections to give a positive impulse to the US climate policy" ahead of the Copenhagen meeting in 2009.

 

The Vice-Chair of Parliament's Environment Committee, Green MEP Satu Hassi, deplored the "unscrupulous behaviour" of the US Administration at the conference. She was also hopeful that a new Administration would take a different line.

 

Pilot projects that measure emission reduction from forestry projects and help for poorer nations through the "Adaptation Fund" were both warmly welcomed by MEPs present at the conference in Bali and in the meeting that followed in Brussels.

 

 

All the MEPs agreed that the European Parliament must play its role in ensuring that the necessary EU-wide legislation is passed to meet the EU's own target of cuts of 20% of greenhouse gases by 2020.

 

UPDATE - 17 April 2009: In the meanwhile, the conference in Poznań (December 2008) defined the timetable of the negotiations which take place before the conference of Copenhagen, which should decide the new rules which will come into force after the running out of the Kyoto protocol in 2012. A new president was also elected in the USA and set the climate change as one of his priorities.

 

 

Together with former US vice president Al Gore the panel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last December for their efforts to raise awareness of climate change.  

 

 

Dr. Pachauri: Climate change is likely to result in problems with the availability of water across the globe. This is a result of changes in precipitation patterns and in melting of the glaciers in different parts of the world, and the demand for water is increasing. You could have several regions in the world with a conflict over natural resources like water.

 

Another threat could result from extreme events like floods, droughts and heat waves which we have projected will increase in frequency and in intensity. Also a large movement of population could impact on agriculture. Those regions of the world that don't produce enough food to meet their own needs, may have no choice but to move to other locations, and when that happens in large numbers, that clearly has the seeds of conflict in it.

 

I suppose the Norwegian Nobel Committee, when it gave the Peace Prize to the IPCC and Al Gore, must have seen that climate change can be a threat to peace and stability. There is no part of the globe that can be immune to the security threat. We need to be conscious of that.

 

 

Dr. Pachauri: For a variety of reasons: in some parts of the world the stable supply of water into river systems comes from these glaciers, South Asia is one example, some parts of China another. So this could affect the very availability of water in these regions. The other problem with the melting of these ice bodies across the globe would be sea level rise.

 

It is already taking place to some extent as a result of thermal expansion of the oceans with higher temperatures. But if the huge bodies of ice of western Antarctica and Greenland ice sheets, sitting on land, were to collapse, that would really mean several meters increase in sea level. It's very difficult to say if and when this will happen but the possibility certainly exists.

 

 

Dr. Pachauri: Firstly we have to accept that there is certain inertia; even if we were to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at current levels, climate change would continue for several decades. Therefore in a sense we're not going to be able to stop global change, but to arrest its growth in the future. This makes it absolutely critical that we start reducing the emission of greenhouse gases by which the atmosphere and the climate of the earth can be stabilized.

 

Technology can certainly provide solutions to reduce emissions, but it comes into play only if we have the right set of policies. We need policies to promote the development of new technologies or the employment of the existing ones. We (the IPCC) have clearly stated in our report that the technology needed are already available or on the verge of being commercialised. These technologies will only be used if we have the right set of policies.

 

Suppose if governments would impose a tax on petroleum products; this would give the incentive to automobile companies to produce more efficient cars, also people could make more use of public transport. Pricing is an extremely important instrument to create change.

 

 

Dr. Pachauri: It is very important to reach an agreement by 2009. Europe can lead by example. Mahatma Gandhi said; "to be the change you want to see in the world". I believe strongly in this. Europe is such a large and important entity that if you create an example of success this will motivate and inspire other regions of the world. Politically Europe would gain power as well. It thus has a very critical role in setting the pace for meeting this problem of climate change. It's wonderful to know that the EP president is so interested in climate change. I feel very privileged to be invited here. the EP is a remarkable institution that provides optimism.

 

 

Dr. Pachauri: I think it has had two sets of impact. First of all: on the scientific community. It is an acknowledgement, a great encouragement and inspiration for all the scientific members of the IPCC. The second impact has been in elevating climate change in the consciousness of people all over the world. The Nobel Peace Prize certainly attaches a great deal of importance to the issue. As for me, I'm going absolutely crazy travelling (laughs). I can only accept 5 to 10 percent of the invitations I receive, but even that is enough to keep me flying continuously. This doesn't make me feel very good but the message has to be spread.

 

 

MEPs used a three-day official visit to Washington to urge the US to prepare itself for the December 2009 UN summit in Copenhagen. With a new president due to take office in January there are concerns that the US and Europe will not be able to speak with one voice. During the 28-30 April visit, 10 members of the Climate Change Committee talked with members of Congress, members of the Bush Administration and NGO's.

 

In a statement released on their return, the delegation said: "We cannot expect much movement on climate change from the current White House". Urging the next US president "to do everything in his or her power to overcome every domestic obstacle standing in the way of an international agreement in Copenhagen", MEPs said it would be a major disappointment if the US brings nothing to the table by December 2009.

 

 

The delegation, led by Chairman Guido Sacconi (PES) and parliament's rapporteur on climate Karl Heinz Florenz (EPP-ED), said they "expect the next US administration to make climate change a priority – and to begin drafting the relevant domestic legislation – from day one".

 

"Countries, both developed and developing, will not sign up to an ambitious agreement without the US on board." MEPs asked the US to reflect on "what kind of leverage Europe and America will have over countries like China if we fail to speak with a single voice?"  

 

 

MEPs were pleased to see that Congress is discussing draft legislation on climate change and urged US partners to persist in their effort to establish a carbon trade system "one that, in the near future, could be linked with the EU Emission Trading Scheme", currently under review. Insisting on a link between internal and international climate efforts, they urged the US "to do its utmost to wrap up work on its domestic climate legislation by the December 2009 UN summit in Copenhagen."  

Concluding that the meetings on the Hill were "a good start", the delegation called for "far greater, more sustained efforts to coordinate our approaches", adding that it is up to the legislative branch to lead by sending clear policy signals.

 

UPDATE - 17 April 2009: In the meanwhile, the incoming US Administration and set climate change as one of its priorities.

 

 

A nine-strong delegation of MEPs from the temporary Committee on Climate Change held talks with Russian MPs, members of the Russian government and NGOs in Moscow from 27-29 October, to explore attitudes towards a possible Kyoto deal.

 

The world need only to look at Russia's ratification of the Kyoto treaty to see how influential they are: "We would like Russia to again play an important role...we would like Russia to be a leader in negotiations: to play a proactive role", said Slovenian MEP Romana Jordan Cizelj of the EPP-ED group.

 

Vittorio Prodi, head of the delegation and vice-chair of the committee said, Russia's "interest is the continuation of the fossil fuel supply, preferably with the highest margin. On the other hand it is also in their interests to mitigate global warming."

 

He stressed that the move away from fossil fuels "can be done in a way that the Russian federation also benefits in terms of technology or energy efficiency."

 

 

Keen to stress the supply and demand relationship, Dorette Corbey of the Socialist group pointed to the long trading relationship with Russia: "Russia is eager to continue to sell gas. Gas is a very nice product because it combines very well with sustainable wind energy because it is flexible. So I told them the chances are high we will be a stable buyer of gas."

 

However, Ms Jordan Cizelj said Russia's priority is economic growth and not necessarily a climate efficient industry: "In Russia, climate change is not a priority, the priority in Russia is economic growth." The comment is backed by statistics showing Russia's ambitious plans of 5-6% growth annually and an increase in popular incomes by 40% in the next four years.

 

Russia has always been a nation that was in denial of climate change. They believed that a 2 degree rise in temperature would open up new areas of Siberia and perhaps allow them to become inhabitable, said Ms Corbey.  However serious concerns have been raised within Russia concerning the melting of the permafrost, on which many structures and industry are built. "The whole infrastructure is threatened. They now recognise it as a problem which means it's an enormous gain for the rest of the world."

 

 

Russia's President Medvedev recently signed a decree on energy intensity aimed at improving energy efficiency 40% by 2020 from 2007 levels.

 

Ms Corbey said, "40% seems a lot, but when you look at how they handle energy over there, it won't be difficult to reach that. They have many buildings in which all flats are heated equally and to cool the flat, people open their windows because they cannot turn off the heat. They want to give people individual gas meters." The delegation said social issues like these could lead to massive climate change savings.

 

 

The climate committee has also visited China, India, Bangladesh and the US. There is a lot of hope around the new US President. Delegation members believe the leadership change could lead to a new climate era, post-Bush: "Obama has been very outspoken during his campaign on the fact that there needs to be a climate change/energy policy and that these problems need to be addressed. So I expect that the US will want to be a partner of the EU," said Ms Corbey.

 

 

With the world in the worst economic crisis since the 1930's many people are asking whether efforts to boost the economy will squeeze out fighting climate change. However, many see an opportunity amid the crisis - investment in green technologies to boost jobs. Is this realistic - we want your views!

 

Last December the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called for a new "Green New Deal" to kick start the global economy. UN talks on a post-Kyoto climate deal end in December and agreement is crucial if limits on CO2 emissions are to be achieved.

 

In the US the Obama Administration has launched a "Recovery and Reinvestment Plan" which aims to double alternative energy capacity over the next three years. Part of this involves laying 3,000 miles of transmission lines which they hope will create "green" jobs.

 

 

In two key debates last autumn, on the world financial crisis on 18 November and the state of climate change and energy negotiations on 4 December, MEPs discussed the main issues.

 

The leader of the centre-right EPP-ED group Joseph Daul stressed the importance of promoting "eco-innovation" in a debate on 4 December. He told fellow MEPs: "If we invest now we can safeguard the jobs of tomorrow." His colleague Avril Doyle said that "investment, jobs, salaries, consumption and saving our planet are all synonymous".

 

 

Swedish MEP Jan Andersson for the rival Socialist PSE group told the House on 18 November: "We need new environmental technology and a new infrastructure that is much more environmentally friendly than the infrastructure we have today."

 

Also speaking in that debate was the leader of the Liberal ALDE group Graham Watson. He told the Parliament in Strasbourg: "A modern-day John Maynard Keynes would put people back to work installing solar panels and wind generators on every house in Europe, fostering innovation and providing jobs simultaneously."

 

For the UEN group Polish MEP Ryszard Czarnecki noted that: "At the present time, economic growth and fighting the increasing threat of unemployment are a hundred times more important than climate change issues."

 

Also in that debate the issue of state bailouts for Europe's car industry were discussed. Co-President of the Greens Monica Frassoni vowed: "There should be no public funds or blank cheques for the car industry. This would be like carrying on throwing money down the drain."  

 

For the leftist GUE/NGL group Roberto Musacchio said on 4 December that: "The environment is not a problem for the economy but the key to the solution" for Europe's economic woes.

 

Tell us what you think! Is boosting the economy compatible with saving the planet?