EU regions 'must be represented' at COP15

As preparations get underway for December's COP15, the Committee of the Regions is calling for more local involvement in securing a new climate change deal.

Meeting for the last day of their June plenary session on Thursday, CoR members adopted a resolution insisting that any follow-up to the Kyoto protocol, to be agreed by environment ministers in Copenhagen, recognises the role of local and regional authorities in mitigating climate change and adapting to its effects.

The resolution calls on the incoming Swedish presidency to include the CoR in the EU delegation at Copenhagen "as the voice of European local and regional authorities".

CoR president Luc Van den Brande also warned that EU policy needed to be more coordinated if the 2020 targets, which includes a commitment to a 20 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, are to be met.

"Europe has some of the world's most stringent climate change legislation, but there is still much room for improvement," he said.

"For example, the good work of the emissions trading scheme, which has led to a reduction in industrial emissions, is undermined by the slow progress towards more sustainable forms of transport - by far the biggest source of carbon emissions in the EU.

"Binding targets on energy efficiency and a greater coordination between energy and climate change policies would also be more effective in meeting the goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020."

Greens MEP Rebecca Harms, meanwhile, said that EU leaders failed to make progress on climate change talks at the two-day EU summit.

"Another EU summit with climate on the agenda, another outcome of stagnation and procrastination from EU heads of state and government," she said.

"Their continued claims to be climate leaders are now bordering on the delusional in light of their ongoing failure to take the necessary action."

She called on EU heads of state to reverse the "downward spiral of ambition" on reducing emissions, saying they failed to seize the initiative and "consistently pass the buck to the next meeting".

"It is broadly accepted that there will be no meaningful international agreement on climate change if industrialised nations fail to make clear financial commitments towards mitigation and adaptation measures in developing countries," she added. "EU leaders again had the opportunity to put a figure on that commitment, again they pushed the decision aside for a later date."

Greenpeace also raised concerns that EU leader were "not up to the challenge" for climate talks at the forthcoming G8 in Italy.

"We need European leadership to push for a strong climate deal by the end of this year," said EU climate and energy policy director Joris den Blanken. "No action from the EU now, leaves the road wide open for less ambitious countries like Japan and the US to water down the deal."

The WWF urged the Swedish presidency to establish a clear roadmap in the run up to Copenhagen that does not leave key decisions to the last minute.

Jason Anderson, head of European climate and energy policy, said the EU had again failed to commit to funding to tackling climate change.

"European leaders were right to state that the time has now come for the international community to speed up the pace of negotiations and take the commitments needed to limit global warming to under 2°C.

"The question inevitably arises, therefore, why didn't they make a decision that actually supports such goals?"

"The EU is playing a delaying tactic which can not help ensure an ambitious deal by the UN Copenhagen summit. Europe needs to make progress on the key issues, and not look elsewhere for leadership."

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