Socialists unite in criticism of EU climate change package

Ahead of a planned announcement by Brussels on Wednesday, Europe's socialists have condemned the EU commission's climate and energy package as lacking ambition.

UK PES deputy Linda McAvan said she was disappointed that the commission had decided to choose only a 20 per cent cut in CO2 as its overall target.

“In Bali, it was recognised that emission cuts between 25-40 per cent compared with their 1990 levels would be needed.

"The global climate is changing. Bigger cuts are needed to keep global temperature increases to two degrees above pre-industrial averages.”

PES president Poul Nyrup Rasmussen concentrated his criticism on member states.

“In a package as big and ambitious as this, disputes on issues such as the fairness of member states’ burden are inevitable - but they must not derail the whole process.

“Government and business must keep in mind the long-term benefits and jobs that will be created by investing in renewable energies.

Rasmussen said it was “urgent” that we reduce our dependency on fossil fuel and so we should “get the details right” in any moves to do so.

Eluned Morgan, on parliament’s energy committee, welcomed the commission’s proposals on auctioning carbon permits, but said she had concerns about the impact on energy-intensive industries.

“We must remain sensitive to the fact that these industries have to remain competitive in a global environment.

“The reality is that unless they are given a degree of protection under emissions trading schemes, then we could see mass relocation, loss of jobs and carbon leakage to areas outside the EU not covered by such environmental regulation.”

The climate change package will include a review of the emissions trading scheme aimed at broadening its scope for the post-2013 period; caps on greenhouse gas emissions for each member state; targets for the share of renewable energy in each member state’s total energy use; establishing a framework for carbon capture and storage; and a revision of state aid for environmental purposes.

EU governments committed themselves to binding targets on CO2 emissions, renewable energy and biofuels last March.

In the last month, criticisms of the commission's targets on renewables have emerged from member states, led by Spain and Germany.

They say that the energy proposals will undermine systems in place in their own countries. Latvia and Slovenia also support the criticisms.

A leaked report seen by the Parliament Magazine last week also cast doubt on the effectiveness of biofuels, which the EU wants to use as a means of achieving its ambitious targets on renewables.

• Previous article
• Next article