EU misses opportunity to show leadership
At the Doha climate talks, governments failed to do anything meaningful to avert the planet’s slide towards catastrophic climate change. Countries used the economic crisis as a reason to avoid paying for climate finance, while billions of dollars in damages rack up from monster storms.
Wendel Trio, Director of CAN Europe said: “Rather than contribute to closing the gap between what countries are willing to do and what is needed in terms of climate action, Doha has increased it. By sticking with only the lowest end of their promises, Parties like the European Union are moving this gap in the wrong direction. The EU missed its chance to play a leadership role in Doha, which it could have done by increasing its emission reduction target to 30%, in line with policies it already has in place. We are dismayed that the EU accepted weakening “hot air” rules by allowing the use of emission surpluses from the past.”
In a new briefing released this week in Doha [1], CAN Europe shows how the EU is already on course to reach 25% emissions reductions by 2020, with the final number being closer to 27% if proposed further reductions from various EU initiatives are fully implemented. If the EU would make full use of the opportunities identified by research groups and NGOs, it could reduce domestic emissions beyond 30%, showing that everyone can jump higher.
Ulriikka Aarnio, Senior Policy Officer at CAN Europe said:
“Developed countries have once again missed an opportunity to build a stronger partnership with developing countries by not providing the level of climate finance that has been promised. By neither putting money on the table nor providing clarity on when and where climate finance would be provided, developed countries are losing respect as well as the ability to get developing countries engaged in taking binding commitments in a new treaty,”
[1] Download Closing the Ambition Gap
Notes:
Climate Action Network Europe is recognised as Europe’s leading network working on climate and energy issues. With 140 member organisations in 27 European countries.
CAN Europe works to prevent dangerous climate change and promote sustainable energy and environment policy in Europe.
