INTERIM REPORT on the scientific facts of climate change: findings and recommendations for decision-making

8.4.2008 - (2008/2001(INI))

Temporary Committee on Climate Change
Rapporteur: Karl-Heinz Florenz

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on the scientific facts of climate change: findings and recommendations for decision-making

(2008/2001(INI))

The European Parliament,

–    having regard to its decision of 25 April 2007 on setting up a temporary committee on climate change[1], adopted pursuant to Rule 175 of its Rules of Procedure,

–    having regard to the Presidency Conclusions of the Brussels European Council of 8-9 March 2007,

–   having regard to the G8 Summit Declaration of 7 June 2007, issued in Heiligendamm, on "Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Energy Security – Challenge and Opportunity for World Economic Growth",

–   having regard to the conclusions of the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released in Valencia, Spain, on 17 November 2007, and to the further studies commissioned by national governments or conducted by other UN bodies,

–   having regard to the Communication from the Commission entitled "Progress towards achieving the Kyoto Objectives" (COM(2007)0757),

–   having regard to the Joint Parliamentary Meeting on Climate Change between the European Parliament and national parliaments of 1-2 October 2007,

–   having regard to the Thirteenth Conference of the Parties (COP 13) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and to the Third Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP 3) held in Bali, Indonesia, from 3 to 15 December 2007,

–   having regard to the public hearings and exchanges of views with high-level personalities and to the outcome of the delegation visits made by the Temporary Committee on Climate Change, and in particular to the information gathered through the experts’ presentations and the subsequent debate at the Thematic Session of 10 September 2007 on "Climate impact of different levels of warming",

–   having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the interim report of the Temporary Committee on Climate Change (A6‑0136/2008),

A.  whereas the mandate of the Temporary Committee on Climate Change calls on the committee to formulate recommendations on the EU’s future integrated policy on climate change, whereas such recommendations should be based on state-of-the-art research, and should not exclude the latest scientific evidence,

B.  whereas the Temporary Committee's interim report addresses exclusively the impacts and effects of climate change based on scientific evidence, whereas a final report will formulate proposals on the EU’s future integrated policy on climate change in accordance with the mandate conferred on the committee and on the basis of all the information gathered by it in the course of its work, whereas that final report will also include Parliament’s position in the negotiations regarding the international framework for climate policy after 2012, with a view to COP 14, which is to be held in Poznan, Poland, in December 2008,

C.  whereas the scientific consensus on the origins and causes of climate change is well established and recognised worldwide inside and outside the IPCC, whereas scientific knowledge and understanding of the underlying human origins of the current global warming trend have grown enormously since the first IPCC assessment report in 1990 and are now regarded as scientific facts, whereas there is a deep-seated scientific consensus on the role played by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the global climate, whereas, in the light of the risk assessment provided, uncertainty demands action rather than a deferral of action,

D.  whereas the knowledge about climate change and the causes of global warming gathered to date through research and data collection is sufficient to trigger the political action and decision-making urgently needed in order to reduce emissions very substantially and to prepare for adaptation to unavoidable climate change,

E.  whereas, according to IPCC AR4, global emissions of carbon dioxide grew by about 80% between 1970 and 2004 and these increases are due primarily to the use of fossil fuels,

F.  whereas research based on observations and modelling shows the risk of serious impact on our planet if measures are not taken swiftly to slow or even halt further increases in CO₂ and other GHG emissions, as listed in the IPCC list of greenhouse gases,

G.  whereas, since the review period and the subsequent publication of IPCC AR4, numerous new scientific studies have measured and brought forward data confirming the global warming trend and have further assessed the implications of climate change on mankind in social, economic and ecological terms, as well as the need to adapt to it and mitigate it,

H.  whereas the Stern Review concludes that, if no measures are taken, the annual cost of projected climate change will account for between 5% and 20% of GDP in 2050, whereas the same report concludes that the climate objectives can be met if, starting now, 1% of GDP is spent each year on measures in this area,

I.  whereas the continuing scientific debate no longer questions the underlying causes of global warming and climate change, whereas all scientific debate is merely an expression of scientific progress aimed at clarifying remaining uncertainties or doubts and is historically marked by the quest for a deeper understanding of the human impact on natural processes,

J.  whereas recent scientific studies have delivered further proof of the anthropogenic disturbance of the earth's atmosphere, whereas the physical science of climate change is assessing the concrete implications of already existing levels of global warming caused by historical emissions, whereas the data collected from such studies underline the urgent need for adaptation and mitigation measures to be implemented in order to limit alarming risk to humans, the biodiversity of flora and fauna, habitats and infrastructure, first and foremost in the developing world but also in Europe and other wealthier parts of the world,

K.  whereas science has identified a number of so-called "tipping-points" in the earth's climate system, whereas such "tipping points" represent "points of no return" for practically irreversible climate change impacts that cannot be reasonably managed by humans, whereas these "tipping-points" and the unstoppable bio-geophysical processes triggered thereby cannot be fully included in the existing future climate scenarios, whereas such "tipping points" include: melting of permafrost, with the resulting release of large quantities of methane into the atmosphere; melting of glaciers, with an increase in the rate of sunlight absorption and lower CO₂ solubility in seawater, bringing with it a rise in temperature, whereas, as temperatures rise, these factors tend gradually to exacerbate global warming, owing to a positive feedback effect,

L.  whereas 20%-30% of all species are projected to be at increased risk of extinction if there is a 1.5°C-2.5°C rise in warming, whereas the percentage based on a 3.5°C rise in warming is 40%-70%, thus making climate change mitigation critical for the preservation of global biodiversity and the maintenance of eco-system services,

M.  whereas the scientific consensus as expressed in IPCC AR4 leads to the conclusion that the level of global GHG emissions must be reduced by 50% to 85% compared to 2000 to avoid serious risks, whereas it will be increasingly difficult to achieve this target if global GHG emissions continue to rise until 2020 and beyond, whereas nearly all Member States are making good progress in their efforts to comply with their individual EU burden-sharing targets, thus raising the likelihood that the EU will reach its Kyoto target by 2012, whereas, nevertheless, after 2012 Member States will have to reduce GHG emissions in a more ambitious way if they are to meet the targets adopted at the European Council on 8-9 March 2007, to be achieved collectively by developed countries, of reducing their GHG emissions by 60% to 80% by 2050 compared to 1990,

N.  whereas IPCC AR4 shows that positive feedbacks between warming and reduction in carbon sinks on land and in oceans may require a substantial further reduction of emissions in order to stabilise GHG concentrations,

O.  whereas there is political consensus in the EU on the vital importance of achieving the strategic objective of limiting the global average temperature increase to not more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, whereas the global temperature has already risen by 0.74°C during the last century and will inevitably continue to increase by a further 0.5°C -0.7°C due to historical emissions,

P.  whereas, according to IPCC AR4, global GHG emissions have grown since pre-industrial times and are currently growing faster than ever before, with an increase due to human activities of 70% between 1970 and 2004 and a significant increase of 24% since 1990, whereas many natural systems on all continents and in most oceans are already affected by regional climate change through rising temperatures, changing rain and wind patterns and increased water scarcity,

Q.  whereas, for the climate system, it is the total amount of cumulated greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere that is relevant, not relative emissions or relative reductions and thus, for the purposes of avoiding dangerous climate change, the most significant determining factor is the total amount of GHG emissions in the coming years and decades,

R.  whereas IPCC AR4 has, for the first time, collated existing documented wide-ranging impacts of changes in current climate for Europe, such as retreating glaciers, longer growing seasons, shifts of species’ ranges and health impacts due to a heatwave of unprecedented magnitude, whereas the observed changes are consistent with those projected for future climate change, whereas in an overall balance for Europe, nearly all regions will be negatively affected by some future impacts of climate change and these will pose challenges to many socio-economic sectors, whereas climate change is expected to magnify regional differences in Europe’s natural resources, e.g. water availability,

S.  whereas climate change, together with massive urbanisation due to population growth, is expected to increase urban heat, with direct negative impacts on the health and welfare of urban citizens,

T.  whereas existing climate change mitigation policies and related sustainable development practices, which must in any case be intensified, will nevertheless be insufficient to reduce global GHG emissions over the next decades, whereas, according to scientific recommendations, the window of opportunity for the successful stabilisation of global GHG concentration to a level corresponding to a 50% likelihood of maintaining climate change to 2°C will remain open until 2015, when global emissions would need to peak,

U.  whereas the contribution of Working Group III to IPCC AR4 indicates that, in order to achieve the lowest levels assessed by the IPCC to date and the corresponding potential damage limitation, Annex I parties to the UNFCCC would need as a group to reduce emissions by 25%-40% below 1990 levels by 2020,

V.  whereas the next IPCC assessment report will probably not be published until 2012 or 2013, whereas additional knowledge emanating from peer-reviewed scientific literature and from scientific reports commissioned by governments or conducted by other international bodies or UN institutions such as the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) or the World Health Organization (WHO) are making a significant contribution to a deeper understanding of the current and future impact of climate change on humans and the environment, as well as to adaptation to and mitigation of climate change,

W.  whereas most results of these additional studies underline the urgent need to respond to global warming without delay, whereas, in particular, the latest WMO data published in December 2007 state that the decade from 1998 to 2007 is the warmest on record and that 2007 will itself be one of the 10 warmest years on record, with an expected temperature anomaly of 0.41°C above the long-term average and whereas 2007 was marked by temperature anomalies of more than 4°C above the long-term monthly averages for January and April 2007 in parts of Europe,

X.  whereas it is necessary to see global warming and the various dimensions of climate change from the perspective of other global problems such as poverty or global health issues, as these problems will be exacerbated by the effects of rising temperatures, drought, floods and increasingly frequent extreme climate phenomena, whereas climate change could impede the ability of countries to follow sustainable development pathways and attain the Millennium Development Goals, whereas climate change could seriously threaten examples of successful development and should therefore be an overarching issue in international cooperation,

1.  Welcomes the recognition by the Parties to the UNFCCC at their meeting in Bali that IPCC AR4 represents the most comprehensive and authoritative assessment of climate change to date, providing an integrated scientific, technical and socio-economic perspective on relevant issues, as well as the encouragement to draw on the information which it provides in the development and implementation of national policies on climate change;

2.  Is convinced that science progresses by confronting accepted knowledge and hypotheses with competing ideas, and by applying peer-review procedures; praises the IPCC for its work and its ability to involve the work of thousands of scientists; believes that the IPCC should take new arguments seriously, in order to continue to guarantee the credibility and quality of its research;

3.  Regards the science of climate change as settled and reiterates its commitment to the EU's strategic objective of limiting the global average temperature increase to not more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, which, according to several scientific reports, can be attained with approximately 50% probability at an atmospheric GHG concentration of 400-450 ppm CO₂ equivalent and which, according to IPCC AR4, will require industrialised countries to reduce their GHG emissions by 25%-40% below 1990 levels by 2020; believes, notwithstanding this, that all efforts to curb emissions should in fact aim at staying well below the 2°C target, as such a level of warming would already heavily impact on our society and individual lifestyles and would also entail significant changes in ecosystems and water resources;

4.  Acknowledges that data projections for 2050 clearly show that the time to act is now; underlines that the window of opportunity for starting the mitigation efforts needed to achieve the 2°C target will close by the middle of the next decade;

5.  Stresses that scientific evidence from all continents and most oceans shows that many natural systems are already affected by regional climate changes due to historical carbon emissions from the industrialised countries; emphasises that it has been scientifically proven that the underlying causes of global warming are predominantly man-made and that the level of gathered knowledge sufficiently proves the anthropogenic disturbance of the Earth's atmosphere;

6.  Stresses that the projected acidification of the oceans due to rising CO₂ levels may have very serious effects on marine ecosystems and calls for further research in this area to enhance our understanding of the problem and to identify implications for policy;

7.  Stresses that scientific results clearly demonstrate how climate change will occur in the near future, following different regional patterns and demonstrating that global warming is both a development issue and a global environmental issue, with poor people and developing countries being the most vulnerable; considers that adaptation aimed at managing the unavoidable consequences of global warming caused by historical emissions from the industrialised countries is as important as intensive mitigation efforts designed to avoid further unmanageable global warming;

8.  Stresses that tipping points, including inter alia the dying back of the Amazon rain forest, the deglaciation of Greenland and of the west Antarctic ice sheet, a collapse of the Indian monsoon and a massive release of methane from the Siberian tundra, are difficult to predict but may all very possibly reach their critical points during the course of this century under current climate change conditions; stresses that avoiding these tipping points will require stronger mitigation efforts than indicated by IPCC AR4;

9.  Welcomes in this respect the outcome, following established scientific advice, of COP 13 and COP/MOP 3 and in particular the Bali Roadmap, which should be assessed at COP 14 in 2008 and should lead to an agreement on a comprehensive regime by 2009; welcomes also the task allocated to the Expert Group on Technology Transfer of assessing the gaps and barriers to the use of, and access to, financial resources provided to developing countries in response to their commitment to engage in nationally appropriate mitigation actions in a measurable, reportable and verifiable manner; equally welcomes the creation of the Adaptation Fund and the inclusion of forests in a new climate protection agreement aimed at avoiding further deforestation and carbon emissions caused by forest or peat land fires, which are also causing enormous damage to local communities, including even the expropriation of their own land through illegal or semi-legal procedures;

10.  Condemns scientifically unsubstantiated efforts to portray the results of studies into the causes and effects of climate change as doubtful, uncertain or questionable; understands, however, that scientific progress has always been marked by doubt, the progressive elimination of such doubt and the search for explanations or models beyond the current scientific mainstream;

11.  Believes, therefore, that further research aimed at a better understanding of the causes and consequences of global warming is essential for responsible decision-making; considers, nevertheless, that the level of knowledge acquired to date is sufficient for the urgent formulation of policies that would achieve GHG emission reductions limiting climate change to +2°C and of measures for adaptation to current climate change;

12.  Stresses the need for further analysis and research into the consequences of climate change such as the effects on economic competitiveness, energy costs and social development in Europe, the role of land use, forests and deforestation, the role of the maritime environment and the calculation of the external climate costs of the industry sector, not least the transport sector, including quantification of the effects of aircraft pollution; considers that further studies are needed in order to mainstream adaptation and risk reduction into development and poverty reduction policy measures;

13.  Advocates additional research into the impact of the policy of promoting biofuels and their effects on the increase of deforestation, the expansion of cultivated land and world food supplies;

14.  Believes that the communication of scientific evidence of human impact on the global climate must be the main element of a broader effort to raise public awareness and subsequently gain and maintain public support for political measures to curb carbon emissions, such as interaction with the various social players, not only in the industrialised countries but also in the emerging economies; asks the IPCC to publish a summary of its assessment reports for the public; believes, furthermore, that individual changes in lifestyle patterns are necessary and should be a part of educational programmes to communicate the causes and effects of global warming;

15.  Calls, therefore, on the scientific community and the political representatives to join forces in raising awareness and lobbying for "little things which could make the difference", taking into account the fact that even communities with a well-developed capacity to adapt to the effects of climate change remain vulnerable to extremes and to unpredictable events;

16.  Stresses that the detailed information needed for low-carbon lifestyle education, including for example GHG footprint declarations on consumer goods and GHG labelling, is poorly developed today and needs to be rapidly developed; stresses that such initiatives should ideally be based on shared standards and should also take into account the embedded GHG emissions from imports;

17.  Asks its Temporary Committee on Climate Change to continue its work and, at the end of its mandate, to present to Parliament a report containing, as appropriate, recommendations as to actions or initiatives, as well as adaptation and mitigation measures, to be taken on the EU’s future integrated policy on climate change in line with the EU objective of limiting global temperature increases to below 2°C and in accordance with the findings and recommendations of IPCC AR4;

18.  Calls on the Commission, the Council and Parliament to advocate at the highest level negotiation and dialogue on the strategic extension to all partner countries throughout the world of EU or non-EU countries' highly proficient strategies, principles and standards in the field of scientific research and action for tackling climate change, in accordance with the recommendations of the scientific community;

19.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

• [1]  OJ C 74 E, 20.3.2008, p. 652.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Mandate and objectives of the Temporary Committee on Climate Change

The momentum of the fight against climate change has dramatically accelerated in the last twelve months, starting with the 2007 Spring Summit decision to fix 20% targets to be achieved by 2020 for emission reductions, use of renewables and energy efficiency. This decision was then followed by other very significant events at international level, such as the Heiligendamm G8 Summit, the UN Security Council's debate on the impact of climate change on peace and security, the meeting of the world's major emitters convened by the US, the Nobel Peace Prize Award to Al Gore and the IPCC scientists, Australia’s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and, finally, the adoption of the “Bali action plan” which will, hopefully, lead to the conclusion in Copenhagen, in December 2009, of a new international climate change agreement.

The establishment of a temporary committee to put together different view-points from the many different policy areas related to climate change is the European Parliament's response and contribution in raising awareness on this issue and in placing the challenge of climate change very high on the international agenda.

With its horizontal approach and its cross-party membership of 60 MEPs, the Temporary Committee on Climate Change (CLIM) will make proposals on the EU's policy on climate change and coordinate the EP position in the negotiations for a future international climate agreement.

Following the Conference of Presidents’ decision of 19 April 2007 to propose to Parliament to set up a Temporary Committee on Climate Change and the plenary decision of 25 April 2007 to set up such a temporary committee, the newly established Temporary Committee on Climate Change held its constituent meeting on 22 May 2007.

The following powers and responsibilities were allocated to the CLIM Committee:

(a) to formulate proposals on the EU’s future integrated policy on climate change and to coordinate the Parliament’s position in the negotiations regarding the international framework for climate policy after 2012;

(b) to analyse and evaluate the state of climate change and propose appropriate measures, at all levels, accompanied by an assessment of both their financial impact and the cost of inaction;

(c) to draw up as comprehensive an inventory as possible of recent progress made and future prospects in combating climate change, in order to provide Parliament with the detailed analysis of those developments, which it needs in order to assume its political responsibilities;

(d) to study the environmental, legal, economic, social, geopolitical, regional and public-health impact of recent progress made and of future prospects;

(e) to analyse and evaluate the application, to date, of relevant Community legislation;

(f) to that end, to make the necessary contacts and hold hearings with the parliaments and governments of the Member States and third countries, the European Institutions and international organisations, as well as representatives of the scientific community, business and civil society, including the networks of local and regional authorities;

The temporary committee will, at the end of its mandate, make recommendations to plenary as to measures or initiatives to be taken. The powers and responsibilities of Parliament’s standing committees responsible for the adoption, follow-up and implementation of Community legislation on climate change related issues will, however, remain unchanged.

This clear division of tasks, as well as the need for also dealing with the issue of climate change in the context of the relations with parliamentary assemblies from third countries, pushed towards the development of a constructive and cooperative working relationship between the temporary committee, the standing committees and the interparliamentary delegations in order to ensure a concerted, coherent and effective contribution from the European Parliament.

Working methods and work programme

Climate change has serious implications, not only for ecosystems, but for the economy as a whole, for public health, water and food security, as well as migrations. Therefore, industry and energy, transport, research and development, agriculture and environment policies have to be connected and have to be better coordinated to achieve mitigation targets to combat climate change.

Because of the relevance of climate change policies for different committees, a horizontal approach seemed to be the most appropriate. This was reflected in the choice of the working methods and of the CLIM work programme.

The work of the CLIM Committee is structured around specific and significant key themes, which concern both the EU and our international partners and which, starting from the assessment of the status of the scientific debate on climate change and the challenge of agreeing a new international framework, would then examine and look at possible solutions in different areas, such as the primary sources of global emissions, new technologies, sources of emission from the energy sector, the impact of climate change on international security, the exploitation of land and forests, or the sensitivity of society to these issues.

Thematic sessions

For each key theme, the committee decided to organise a public hearing (“thematic session”), with the participation of a prestigious high-profile key-note speaker and of a panel of experts in order to best examine the subject. In order to ensure the active contribution to the committee work of as many Members as possible, for each key theme the rapporteur was seconded by a “theme leader” from amongst the Members, in charge of leading the discussion at the thematic session and of drafting a working document with a summary and conclusions to pave the way for the final report.[1]

The first thematic session took place on 10 September 2007 on the topic "Climate impact of different levels of warming", with the CLIM-Vice-Chair, Vittorio Prodi, as “theme leader”. The main objective of the thematic session was to gather information on the current status of the scientific debate on climate change and in particular on the questions what is dangerous climate change, what level of impact can be expected for different levels of global warming based on the latest IPCC report, what are the atmospheric concentration levels and the emission levels that are consistent with the EU 2°C target, and on the global climate change impact on our cultural heritage. Prof. Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, gave the key-note speech.

During the debate, several important conclusions emerged: Experts stressed, that scientific evidence from all continents and oceans shows that many natural systems are being affected by climate change, and that there are enough recent scientific studies proving the anthropogenic disturbance of the Earth's atmosphere beyond doubt. Because of the serious and imminent problems caused by climate change, a clear need for decisive and immediate action is necessary, in order to achieve the strategic objective of limiting the global average temperature increase to not more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

The second thematic session took place on 4 October 2007 and was devoted to "The Climate Protection Challenge Post-2012". Satu Hassi had the role of the "theme leader". The objective of the thematic session was to gather information on the current status of the international debate on a possible post-2012 global framework and on the views of the scientific community, the business world and the NGOs on the design of such a framework. John Ashton, Special Representative on Climate Change of the UK Foreign Office, as well as Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, gave key-note speeches.

A clear message was sent that since the Kyoto protocol was adopted, the scientific and general knowledge about global warming has been significantly deepened and was substantially intensified and outlined through the work and the scientific activities of the IPCC panel. Their work in collecting and peer-reviewing numerous scientific studies and findings has lead to the conviction that, beyond any serious scientific doubt, human activity has caused the global climate to change and will further negatively influence the climate if not altered substantially in the near future.

Speakers agreed on the fact that deadlines and framework conditions for climate policy are set by nature. For the climatic system, only the total amount of cumulated greenhouse gases emitted to the atmosphere is relevant, not relative emissions or relative reductions. To avoid dangerous climate change, the total amount of emissions in the next few years and decades is most determining. Regulation has a crucial importance in achieving climate objectives and must ensure most urgently that long term investment is climate compatible.

The third thematic session was held on 19 November 2007 on "The social and economic dimension, R&D, new technologies, transfer of technologies, innovation and incentives". On this occasion, Philippe Busquin seconded the CLIM-Rapporteur as “theme leader”. Prof. Carlo Rubbia, Nobel Prize laureate for physics was the key-note speaker. The Vice-President of the European Commission, Günter Verheugen also made a large contribution. The key-note speaker, the Vice-President and the experts spoke, amongst other subjects, on the research in scientific areas and in industry. Their views converged in the assessment that although the solutions to combat GHG are not yet widely in place and available at this moment, intensifying technological research and development could well bring those solutions a lot closer.

Bringing science and industry together for development and application of the newest technology and future technology could be of significant importance for the leadership of Europe in combating climate change through clean technologies.

Our fourth thematic session was held on 29 January 2008 on "Climate change and the world's water, with a specific focus on sustainable development, land use change and forests". Cristina Gutiérrez-Cortines will be the “theme leader” for this session and Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, will give the key-note speech.

Two more thematic sessions took place until end of March 2008: on 3 March 2008 on "Sources of emission from the industry and energy sector and transport emissions at global level" and on 26 March 2008 on "How to engage other main actors - climate change, adaptation in third countries and global security" respectively.

Delegation visits and cooperation with interparliamentary delegations

The committee mandate also includes the task of establishing the necessary contacts with parliaments and governments from third countries. This is what we call “climate change diplomacy” which is especially important at this point, since a global international agreement is needed after 2012, bringing together as many countries as possible, first of all from the industrialised world, and also from the developing world and the emerging economies.

To fulfil this task, the committee decided to concentrate its delegation visits on two of the most crucial countries in the context of the international negotiations on a future agreement: China - where a visit took place on 5-7 November 2007 -, and India and Bangladesh - where a visit took place on 4-7 February 2008.[2]

The main objectives of these delegation visits are (i) to learn about the actions and initiatives taken or planned by the authorities of these countries to tackle the issue of climate change, (ii) to better understand their position in the context of the international debate for a post-2012 climate change framework and (iii), to support the Presidency and the Commission in their negotiations with the governments through contacts with the parliamentary counterparts.

In addition to these visits, the CLIM Committee has also established very fruitful working relations, including exchange of information, preparatory briefings and feedback reports, with the delegations in charge of the relations with countries and/or regions particularly relevant for the issue of climate change.

Participation to the Thirteenth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (Bali, Indonesia, 3-15 December 2007)

An extremely important event in the work of the CLIM Committee has been the participation of its Members in the EP delegation to COP 13, which main objective was to agree on a negotiation mandate in view of an international agreement for the period after the expiry of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012.

In accordance with the Conference of Presidents’ decision, the CLIM Committee was formally represented in the 15-Member EP delegation by its bureau and rapporteur. However, given the cross-sector composition of the committee, all Members of the EP delegation, including those representing the Environment and the Industry Committees, were also Members of the CLIM Committee.

The participation to the Conference was prepared by a thematic session (see above) dedicated to the issue of the post-2012 framework. The committee also charged Satu Hassi, who was the theme leader for this thematic session (see above), to draft a resolution, adopted by Parliament on 15 November 2007, which constituted the EP position at the Conference[3].

Finally, before the beginning of the conference, an informal briefing was organised with Commissioner Dimas to learn about the main issues at stake in the negotiations as well as the EU strategy.

At the Conference the EP delegation organised a Round-Table of parliamentarians, participated in numerous high-level meetings with other delegations and organisations of civil society and liaised daily with the European Commission and the Council. Amongst others, the EP delegation met with US Senator John Kerry, with the UN Special Envoy on climate change, Ricardo Lagos, with the UK climate change advisor Sir Nicholas Stern and with parliamentarians from all five continents.[4]

A resolution on the outcome of the Conference will now be prepared for adoption at the January II part-session.

Exchange of views with high-level personalities

In addition to the meetings and exchange of views with high-level personalities held in the context of the thematic sessions and of the delegation visits, the CLIM Committee also had very useful and interesting exchange of views with:

· Minister Sigmar Gabriel, Environment Minister of Germany, on the outcome of the Heiligendamm G8 Summit, on 27 June 2007

· President Hans-Gert Pöttering on the EP role in tackling the issue of climate change, on 4 October 2007

· Minister Janez Podobnik, Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning of the Republic of Slovenia, on the Slovenian Presidency planned actions and initiatives in the field of climate change on 23 January 2008.

Relations with national parliaments

The CLIM Committee was also active in establishing and developing relations with national parliaments on climate change related issues. In this context, it contributed – by suggesting topics to be examined in the working groups and through the active participation of its Members - in the Joint Parliamentary Meeting organised by the President of the EP and the President of the Portuguese Parliament on 1-2 October 2007[5] .

On 20 and 21 January 2008 the Chairman of the CLIM Committee will participate, and deliver a key-note speech, at the meeting of the Chairpersons of the committees responsible for energy and the environment from the national parliaments and the European Parliament organised by the Slovenian National Assembly.

Concerning bilateral relations with national parliaments, the CLIM Committee Chairman and the rapporteur took part in a hearing and exchange of views with the European Delegation of the French National Assembly on 17 October 2007.

Gathering of information on climate change related issues

In accordance with its mandate, among the tasks of the CLIM Committee is the gathering of information on climate change related issues, with a view to providing Parliament with the detailed analysis which it needs in order to assume its political responsibilities.

To this end, the committee made extensive use of the expertise budget allocated to it and, through the Policy Departments of the European Parliament, commissioned several external studies and briefing notes which provided an important input for the thematic sessions and the delegation visits, as well as for the other committee activities.

The topics on which studies have been delivered up to now are : "National Legislation and national initiatives and programmes (since 2005) on topics related to climate change" (regularly updated), "Climate change legislation and initiatives at EU level", "Climate change legislation/initiatives at the international level and post-2012 design options", "China's energy policy in the light of climate change and options for co-operation with the EU", "China and climate change: Impacts and policy responses" and "China and climate change: recent articles and publications."[6].

Other work done by the CLIM Committee

With a view to react promptly to the specific issue of adaptation to unavoidable climate change - an issue of cross-sectorial importance covering inter alia agriculture, regional policy, fisheries, development cooperation, transport, on which the Commission plans to put forward legislation towards the end of 2008 - the committee decided to draw up a resolution on adaptation and charged its Chairman to draft it in cooperation with the committees mainly concerned by this issue. The resolution is intended to wind-up the debate on an Oral Question to the Commission during the April part-session.

Future work

An integrated policy on climate change can not be limited to the environmental impacts of global warming and the consequent implications in the energy, industry or transport policies. A number of other policy areas, such as agriculture, fisheries, development cooperation, regional and cohesion policy, international trade or international security are already or will be affected by global warming. In order to fulfil its mandate and to formulate recommendations on initiatives and actions to take, the CLIM Committee has decided to address the complex issue of climate change in a cross-sectorial way. In the first six months of activity of the committee, it was not possible to examine in depth all these aspects.

As mentioned already, three of the six planned thematic sessions will only take place between January and March 2008, as will the planned delegation visit to India and Bangladesh, while some additional topics might also need in-depth examination. This would be the case for instance with regard to thematic sessions regarding climate change and the world's water with a special focus on sustainable development, land use, land use change and forests; sources of emission from the energy sector and transport emissions at global level; or how to engage other main actors. From an external relations point of view, the fast changes in US public opinion and the business world, already partly mirrored in the new position taken by the Congress on energy and climate issues, would suggest the need for closer contacts with American counterparts, in particular with the recently established United States House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

Given the interlinks between the different aspects of the topic and the clear request made by plenary when adopting the committee mandate to put forward recommendations for the future EU’s integrated policy on climate change, it would be premature and inappropriate to draw preliminary conclusions and submit them to plenary before the work of the committee is concluded.

According to plenary decision of 25 April 2007, the committee mandate will expire on 9 May 2008. In order to draft, amend and adopt the report within this timeframe, the information gathering and sharing of several thematic sessions as well as the outcome of delegation visits and the findings of some already commissioned external studies would have to be ignored.

Furthermore, it should also be noted that the negotiation mandate adopted at the Bali Conference in December is only the beginning of a negotiation process which will need to be closely followed by Parliament, and which will see an important moment in the Fourteenth Conference of the Parties (COP 14) in Poznan, Poland, in December 2008.

In this light, the rapporteur proposed, and the committee coordinators and shadow rapporteurs agreed, to draft an interim report addressing exclusively the impacts and effects of climate change. This report should be adopted by the committee in view of the May 2008 part-session, i.e. before the expiration of the current 12 months mandate. Rule 151 of the Rules of Procedure will be strictly applied for this interim report.

Furthermore, the Coordinators agreed to ask for an extension of the mandate of the committee of 9 months, i.e. until 9 February 2009, and mandated the Chairman to take the necessary steps with the Conference of Presidents. Such an extension would - first of all - allow the inclusion in the committee report of all the information gathered during the present mandate, and - in addition – to examine some further topics as mentioned above. Finally, an extension of the mandate of 9 months would allow to adopt the report in the CLIM Committee before COP 14 in Poznan and to take into account the results of the Poznan Conference for the vote in plenary, thus making it possible for the European Parliament to give a useful input to and a substantial evaluation of the negotiations for a post-2012 agreement. On 18 February 2008 Parliament decided to extend the mandate of the CLIM Committee until 9 February 2009.

The timetable for the final report of the CLIM Committee will be as follows:

- Draft report to translation: 31 July 2008

- Consideration of draft report: 18 September 2008

- Deadline for amendments: 7 October 2008

- Consideration of amendments: 4 November 2008

- Vote CLIM: 2 December 2008

- Plenary: January or February 2009

Main findings of the CLIM Committee in the period May-December 2007 and rapporteur’s conclusions and recommendations

The scientific basis of climate change

In view of the above, this report exclusively focuses on the scientific facts of climate change that have been discussed in depth with worldwide renown experts at the committee’s first thematic session in September 2007 as well as in the context of the Joint Parliamentary Meeting of 1-2 October 2007.

In the light of the information gathered through these discussions, the rapporteur considers that:

· the science of climate change is well established and recognised worldwide, and the human origins of the current global warming trend are beyond any serious scientific doubt;

· there is political consensus in the EU on the vital importance of achieving the strategic objective of limiting the global average temperature increase to not more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels and this objective shall drive the EU integrated policy on climate change;

· all efforts to curb emissions should, however, aim at staying even well below the 2°C target, as such a level of warming would already heavily impact on our society and individual lifestyles, and also imply significant changes in ecosystems and water resources;

· IPCC AR4 represents the most comprehensive and authoritative assessment of climate change to date, providing an integrated scientific, technical and socioeconomic perspective on relevant issues; it shall, therefore, be taken as the basis for the development of national and international policies on climate change;

· the scientific consensus as expressed in IPCC AR4 recommends halving the level of global emissions by 2050, which will be increasingly difficult to achieve if global emissions continue to rise until 2020 and beyond because of the cumulative effect of historical, present and future emissions of GHG contributing to global warming;

· science has identified a number of so-called 'tipping-points' in the earth climate system which represent points of no return for deeper irreversible climate change, whose impacts cannot be influenced or altered by humans any longer; these 'tipping-points' and the triggered unstoppable physical processes cannot be fully included into the existing future climate scenarios,

· existing climate change mitigation policies and related sustainable development practices are insufficient to reduce global GHG emissions over the next decades; according to scientific recommendations the window of opportunity to successfully stabilize global emissions in order to assure at least a probability of 50% to reach the EU 2° C target stays open until 2015 being the peak-year of global emissions;

· the collected data of scientific studies assessing concrete implications of already existing levels of global warming due to historic emissions underline the urgency of adaptation measures to be set in place to avoid serious damage to humans and the infrastructure first and foremost in the developing world, but also in Europe and other wealthier parts of the world;

· the communication of scientific evidence of human impact on the global climate has to be the major part of a broader attempt to gain public support for political measures to curb carbon emissions; individual changes in lifestyle-patterns are necessary and should be a part of educational attempts of communicating causes and effects of global warming;

· although scientific consensus stresses that technological and science-based solutions to combat GHG and to develop a low-CO2 industry and community are not yet fully available at acceptable cost, there are hopeful indications that with scientific and technological research solutions can be further developed in order to (first) halt the increase of GHG and (later) reduce the impacts of climate change.

In conclusion, the rapporteur considers the scientific basis of climate change as settled, and recommends that the temporary committee continues its work and presents, at the end of its mandate, a report to Parliament containing, as appropriate, recommendations as to actions or initiatives to be taken on the EU’s future integrated policy on climate change in line with the EU objective of limiting global temperature increase below 2°C and with the findings and recommendations of IPCC AR4.

The outcome of the Bali Conference and the negotiations for a post-2012 international climate agreement

The future international climate agreement is a crucial element in the global effort to tackle the issue of climate change. This topic has been examined in depth at the thematic session of October 2007 and has been the main issue discussed at the Thirteenth Conference of the Parties (COP 13) to the UN Climate Change Convention.

The rapporteur welcomes the adoption of the “Bali action plan” and the launching of formal negotiations in view of an international climate agreement for the period after 2012, as well as the other important decisions agreed by COP 13, in particular concerning technology, the adaptation fund and deforestation. The rapporteur also welcomes the recent decision taken by the new Australian government to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

In the light of the negotiations that have taken place in Bali, the rapporteur underlines the constructive position taken by the Chinese government, as well as the commitments taken by the developing countries to engage “in nationally appropriate mitigation actions in the context of sustainable development, supported and enabled by technology, financing and capacity-building, in a measurable, reportable and verifiable manner.”

However, it should be reminded that Parliament will comment on the outcome of the Bali Conference in a specific resolution to be adopted during the January II part-session. For this reason, no specific comment on this issue is included in the present report. The progress of the negotiations for a post-2012 agreement will be examined and assessed in the context of the final report.

• [1]  The working documents drafted by the theme leaders, as well as the experts’ presentations and the background files for the thematic sessions, are available on the Committee's website: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/committees/hearingsCom.do?language=EN&body=CLIM
• [2]  The summary reports of the delegation visits, as well as all other relevant documentation, are available on the Committee website:
  http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/committees/publicationsCom.do?language=EN&body=CLIM
• [3]  P6_TA(2007)0537
• [4]  A summary report of the EP delegation work in COP 13, including the main decisions adopted at the Conference and all other relevant information is available on the Committee website:
  http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/committees/publicationsCom.do?language=EN&body=CLIM
• [5]  A summary of the discussions at the JPM meeting can be found through the following link:
  http://www.europarl.europa.eu/webnp/cms/lang/en/pid/564
• [6]  These studies are available through the following link on the Committee website:
  http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/committees/studies.do?language=EN
  The already available external material relating to climate change has been organised by the Library of the European Parliament in key-issues mainly following the CLIM Committee thematic sessions. This material is available on the EP Library website:
  http://www.library.ep.ec/library-app/viewthemepage.action?id=66&pid=03-02-31

RESULT OF FINAL VOTE IN COMMITTEE

Date adopted	1.4.2008
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	36 4 1
Members present for the final vote	Liam Aylward, Etelka Barsi-Pataky, Johannes Blokland, John Bowis, Jerzy Buzek, Dorette Corbey, Chris Davies, Avril Doyle, Edite Estrela, Karl-Heinz Florenz, Matthias Groote, Rebecca Harms, Satu Hassi, Roger Helmer, Jens Holm, Romana Jordan Cizelj, Dieter-Lebrecht Koch, Marian-Jean Marinescu, Linda McAvan, Riitta Myller, Markus Pieper, Vittorio Prodi, Herbert Reul, María Sornosa Martínez, Csaba Sándor Tabajdi, Andres Tarand, Silvia-Adriana Ţicău, Antonios Trakatellis, Lambert van Nistelrooij, Åsa Westlund
Substitute(s) present for the final vote	Adamos Adamou, Inés Ayala Sender, Giulietto Chiesa, Elisa Ferreira, Catherine Guy-Quint, Fiona Hall, Werner Langen, Johannes Lebech, Caroline Lucas, Justas Vincas Paleckis, Paul Rübig