MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

16.1.2006

to wind up the debate on the statement by the Commission
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure, by

• –Karl-Heinz Florenz, Eija-Riitta Korhola and Anders Wijkman, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group
• –Guido Sacconi, Dorette Corbey and Edite Estrela, on behalf of the PSE Group
• –Chris Davies, on behalf of the ALDE Group
• –Satu Hassi, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
• –Liam Aylward, on behalf of the UEN Group
• –Kartika Tamara Liotard, Roberto Musacchio, Umberto Guidoni, Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Jonas Sjöstedt, Paul Verges, Ilda Figueiredo and Willy Meyer Pleite, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
• –Johannes Blokland

on climate change European Parliament resolution on climate change

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the 11th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and to the parallel first meeting of Parties to its Kyoto Protocol, both held in Montreal in December 2005,

–  having regard to its previous resolutions and, in particular, those of 12 May 2005 on the Seminar of Government Experts on Climate Change and of 16 November 2005 on winning the battle against global climate change,

–  having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

1.  Welcomes the overall outcome of the Conference, especially the opening up of the dialogue on a future climate change regime, not only in the context of the Kyoto Protocol but also within that of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; also welcomes the good technical progress that was made on the implementing rules for the existing climate change regime;

2.  Congratulates the Canadian presidency for the energy and vigour with which it prepared the conference and then steered it through to a successful conclusion;

3.  Welcomes the willingness at Montreal of Annex I Parties to the Kyoto Protocol to accept a second commitment period after 2012;

4.  Welcomes the continued leadership position of the European Union in helping to promote international agreement at Montreal, but considers that it should not become complacent about its role and urges it to maintain a high level of ambition in future discussions with its international partners;

5.  Regrets the fact that the US Administration is still so reluctant to enter into any meaningful international partnership on climate change, but notes that, at least, it did not stand in the way of agreement at Montreal; welcomes also the greater emphasis now being placed on fighting climate change by many key actors in American society, including Members of Congress from both Houses and both parties, state legislators, mayors, NGOs and many in the business community;

6.  Welcomes the fact that rapidly industrialising developing countries appear to be becoming more deeply committed to a climate change dialogue and to exploring innovative ways of fighting and adapting to climate change;

7.  Notes with approval the adoption of a series of important implementing measures aimed at ensuring that the potential of the Kyoto Protocol is properly harnessed and, in particular:

• (i)the final adoption of the Marrakesh Accords and the Kyoto Rule Book;
• (ii)the agreement on a proper compliance regime for the Kyoto Protocol;

   (iii)   the strengthening of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), so that it is better funded, less bureaucratic and generally more operational;

• (iv)the relaunching of Joint Implementation, so that it too can play a stronger role in the future;
• (v)the adoption of a 5-year programme on adaptation to climate change impacts, as these will be vital complementary measures to those aimed at mitigation;

8.  Welcomes the recognition at Montreal not only that there needs to be a new commitment period for Annex I countries in the Kyoto Protocol after 2012, but that there should be no gap between the first and second commitment periods; believes that this should convey a sense of urgency for the new talks, since they must be concluded in sufficient time to complete the ratification process; recalls its request in this context, in its resolution of 16 November 2005, that there should be a time limit – the end of 2008 – for reaching agreement on future climate commitments;

9.

Notes that the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol have to submit their initial

comments by 15 March 2006 and that the first meeting of the relevant working group is to be held in May 2006;

10.  Welcomes also the initiation in the wider Convention context of dialogue aimed at the development of effective and appropriate national and international responses to climate change, in which all countries can participate. Notes further that this will be organised in the form of workshops, that Parties are asked to submit their initial views by 15 April 2006, and that there is to be a report on the issues raised at the two forthcoming Conferences of the Parties (COP 12 and COP 13);

11.  Calls for an intensive dialogue between the Parliament, Commission and Council in the run-up to all the above deadlines;

12.  Insists that the EU puts forward an ambitious agenda for both sets of talks, in the Kyoto Protocol and Convention contexts;

13.  Recalls two key strategic objectives that were set out in its resolution of 16 November 2006:

• (i)limiting the average global temperature increase to 2° C above pre-industrialisation levels;
• (ii)undertaking strong emission reductions for developed countries of 30% by 2020 and of 60-80% by 2050;

14.  Calls for intensive review of the advantages and disadvantages of innovative approaches to complement new mandatory reductions for Annex I industrialised countries, such as the concept of contraction and convergence, and the proposed ‘sectoral pledge approach’, whereby key developing countries would take on voluntary greenhouse-gas-intensity targets for major industrial sectors and would receive market and technology incentives to exceed these targets;

15.  Recalls its support for the continuing use of flexible mechanisms, and for the long-term goal of a global carbon market based on cap and trade;

16.  Calls for a detailed exploration of the possibilities being opened up by new technologies, such as renewable energy technologies and carbon capture and storage;

17.  Considers that Annex I industrialised countries must continue to play a vital role in tackling climate change at world level. Calls on Annex I Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, in this context, to meet their existing commitments and to take on ambitious targets for a second commitment period after 2012. Calls, moreover, on those industrialised countries that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol to reconsider their position, to take vigorous domestic measures, and to play an active role in future international negotiations, with a view to their participation in the future climate change regime;

18.  Emphasises the key importance of engaging the rapidly industrialising developing countries in a future international climate change regime, while fully respecting their vital concerns about promoting their economic development and fighting poverty. Notes their reluctance to take on binding emission reduction targets at this stage, but hopes that this will ultimately be possible, and considers that adoption of voluntary sectoral targets might be a useful first step. Further believes that promotion of a technology partnership between developed and developing countries will help the latter in promoting their continued economic growth, but on a more sustainable and climate-friendly basis;

19.  Insists that individual EU countries, and the EU as a whole, live up to their existing commitments, since the EU’s leading position in international talks will be undercut if this cannot be achieved. Undertakes, in this context, to initiate more systematic monitoring of internal EU action on climate change and the extent to which existing measures are working;

20.  Emphasises the fundamental importance of an integrated EU approach to climate change policy, with sectoral policies on energy conservation and renewable energies, transport, agriculture, industry, research and development etc., complementing rather than contradicting each other. Recalls its various specific proposals to this effect in its resolution of 16 November 2005;

21.  Calls for prompt review of the relevant flexible mechanisms:

• (i)the functioning of the European Emissions Trading Scheme, how it might be further improved (for example by examining alternatives to grandfathering, such as benchmarking and auctioning), how its scope might be further extended to the aviation and other sectors, and finally how it might be linked up to schemes in other countries
• (ii)use by EU countries of the Clean Development Mechanism, Joint Implementation, and ways whereby use of these mechanisms could be further promoted;

22.  Underlines the need for an effective EU communication strategy on climate change issues, covering proper publicity for the latest scientific evidence on the impacts of climate change, the costs of inaction, the provision of detailed information about the carbon content of all products and services, the policy proposals put forward by the EU, the current status of international negotiations, and the specific steps that will have to be taken at the levels of the EU, the Member States and the individual citizen;

23.  Calls for all of its relevant committees and delegations to work together closely on climate change issues, so that its energy policy, transport, agriculture, research and development and other initiatives are better coordinated with climate change targets, and so that climate change issues are regularly raised at interparliamentary delegation level and in the context of the Transatlantic Legislative Dialogue;

24.  Reiterates its continued dissatisfaction at the exclusion of its Members who are participating in EU delegations from attendance at the EU coordination meetings, and calls for this to be resolved rapidly, if possible before COP 12 in November 2006;

25.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), with the request that it be circulated to all non-EU Contracting Parties.