Energy and climate package will help stimulate European economy, says EU environment chief

Member states must stick together and commit to a new green deal on energy and climate, despite difficult financial times, the EU’s climate chief has said.

Writing in the latest issue of the Parliament Magazine, Stavros Dimas argues that an agreement on ambitious environmental measures will in fact encourage the investment needed to re-vitalise the EU’s economy.

“The climate and energy package is part of the solution and will enhance our energy security, increase the competitiveness of European industry and create high quality ‘green’ jobs,” he says.

“It will give Europe a first mover advantage over other regions of the world that have yet to seize the initiative,” he adds.

The EU’s climate and energy package includes plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 per cent and to double the market share of renewable energies to 20 per cent by 2020.
 
The package, which has been the subject of intense political debate since the financial crisis struck, is set to be endorsed by European heads of state and government to at the upcoming European council summit in December.

Given the global credit crunch, European leaders at the summit are likely to focus on short-term financial initiatives, but Dimas says that they must also adopt the climate package in the light of the potential economic benefits that it will bring in the long-term.

“The past few months have seen an unprecedented crisis in international financial markets.  Amidst this crisis, there are those who are questioning whether measures to address climate change are an expensive luxury which should now be cut back or even shelved.”

This question is based on a false dichotomy.  The reality is that we do not have to make a choice between addressing the financial crisis and taking action to address climate change.  We can, and should, do both.”

“By reaching agreement on the climate and energy package, Europe’s leaders have a chance to capitalise on the benefits offered by the package and turn necessity into opportunity by setting the foundations for a future green economy,” he says.

“This would be an important milestone on the road to our ultimate objective of a new international agreement under the UN Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen next year.”

“Europe needs this package in December,” he adds.

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