Climate change package: EU now has tools in place to help tackle climate change
Posted, December 17, 2008 @ 12:00
The EU now has tools in place to help tackle climate change, and to secure an ambitious agreement at Copenhagen next year, John Bowis MEP, Conservative environment spokesman in the European Parliament, said today after MEPs adopted the EU's Climate and Energy package.
Conservatives were able to secure amendments that exclude small businesses and hospitals from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), and ensured funding for demonstration projects on carbon capture and storage technologies. However, a Conservative proposal for an Emission Performance Standard for new power stations was defeated. This amendment would have ensured all new coal-fired power stations could only be approved if they were to capture the CO2 they emit.
Mr Bowis said:
"Conservative MEPs have striven for ambitious measures in the Climate and Energy Package to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
" We have supported the package so that industry has greater certainty and can begin to meet the challenges we have set. Now we can look to the Copenhagen Climate Change conference next December with the tools in place to reduce the greenhouse gases that threaten us.
"It is disappointing that the Emissions Trading Scheme has been watered down in key areas, such as the amount of emission allowances to be allocated by auctioning and the complex methodology agreed for allocating free allowances. It is also sad that governments would not commit to earmarking some of the revenues generated from auctioning for tackling climate change. That money will now disappear into the Chancellor's coffers rather than supporting eco-innovation and new technologies, supporting adaptation in developing countries and protecting forests around the world.
" However there have been welcome improvements on Renewable Energy, where our demand for rigorous sustainability criteria on biofuels has been agreed.
"It is time to act on our commitment to cut emissions by at least 20% by 2020. It is a start. At Copenhagen we must set higher targets for the future"