By Martha Moss - 4th February 2009
The financial crisis represents a "major opportunity" for the EU to develop new industries, according to parliament’s rapporteur on climate change Karl-Heinz Florenz.
MEPs on Wednesday accepted recommendations, put forward by Florenz in his report for parliament’s temporary committee on climate change, for an 80 per cent reduction in emissions by 2050 on 1990 levels, with a mid-term target of between 25 per cent and 40 per cent by 2020.
Florenz’s report highlights the committee’s concerns that "climate change is both more rapid and more serious in terms of its adverse affects than was previously thought" and calls on the European commission to monitor whether the objective of keeping the increase in global temperatures below two per cent is enough.
The German EPP-ED deputy told journalists that it was the job of the parliament to "call upon the commission to do more" and to criticise them. "Sometimes we are quite harsh," he said.
His report calls on the EU to make spending on combating climate change its highest priority, with more funds for developing countries and emission reduction requirements in development aid packages.
However, some commentators have questioned the feasibility of investing in environmental policies during the global credit crunch. Asked if the EU would take the necessary steps for protecting the environment in the current economic climate, Florenz said, "Of course I didn't ask for the global financial crisis."
But he insisted that the global recession was not a result of wrong decisions on the part of environmental politicians but occurred "because people in banks didn't use money in a responsible way".
He called for a discussion on ethics and business and argued that new opportunities could be created, for example in the car industry in his home country Germany, by switching from fuel-powered engines to electric ones.
"These occasions need to be used to change matters," he said. "Sometimes a defeat or a crisis gives you new opportunity to make changes and develop new industries... This is an opportunity not just a crisis."
The report also includes proposals to replace fossil fuels with energy from renewable sources, for all new buildings to be energy neutral after 2020, and for Europe to consider introducing binding reduction targets for emissions from the agricultural sector.
Asked about the lack of investment in solar projects in the recent €5bn 'recovery package' for energy and broadband, Florenz said that the commission "hasn't taken sufficient account of that".
Guido Sacconi, the chair of parliament’s temporary climate change committee, drew attention to the upcoming covenant of mayors ceremony, where the mayors from hundreds of towns and cities across the EU will meet in the European parliament to formally sign a pact to become more energy efficient.
Events like this are "testimony to the fact that we are on track and that things are happening", he argued.
And he said he hoped parliament could keep the pressure on, keep monitoring climate change, keep engaging in international initiatives and "keep assessing whether any other legislative acts are in keeping with climate change solutions".
British EPP-ED MEP John Bowis welcomed the proposals and called on the EU to "take solid action to back up its words". Bowis, the group’s environment spokesman, said, "The EU has led by example with the climate change package but only our actions, and not our words, will encourage other industrial countries to follow suit.
"We need to make it clear to all countries that reducing emissions can be good for growing an economy and turning it green.
"However this will only work if we provide incentives for our businesses to invest in green technologies and practices."
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