European Parliament resolution on climate change
Date: 2006-01-18
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: climate change, developing countries, energy policy, environmental cooperation, international cooperation, pollution control measures, reduction of gas emissions

C 287 E/182

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

24.11.2006

Wednesday, 18 January 2006

P6_TA(2006)0019

Climate change

The European Parliament,

European Parliament resolution on climate change

— having regard to the 11th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change and to the parallel first meeting of Parties to its Kyoto Protocol, both held in Montreal
in December 2005,

— having regard to its previous resolutions and, in particular, those of 12 May 2005 on the Seminar of
Government Experts on Climate Change (1) and of 16 November 2005 on ‘Winning the battle against
global climate change’ (2),

— having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

1. Welcomes the overall outcome of the Conference, especially the opening up of the dialogue on a
future climate change regime, not only in the context of the Kyoto Protocol but also within that of the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change; also welcomes the good technical progress that was made on
the implementing rules for the existing climate change regime;

2. Congratulates the Canadian presidency for the energy and vigour with which it prepared the confer-
ence and then steered it through to a successful conclusion;

3. Welcomes the willingness at Montreal of Annex I Parties to the Kyoto Protocol to accept a second
commitment period after 2012, but stresses the fact that these countries alone do not solve the problem
and realises that more countries need to be involved in the fight to curb total emissions globally;

4. Welcomes the active engagement of the European Union in helping to promote international agree-
ment at Montreal, but considers that it should not become complacent about its role and urges it to main-
tain a high level of ambition in future discussions with its international partners;

5. Regrets the fact that the US Administration is still so reluctant to enter into any meaningful interna-
tional partnership on climate change, but notes that, at least, it did not stand in the way of agreement at
Montreal; welcomes also the greater emphasis now being placed on fighting climate change by many key
actors in American society, including Members of Congress from both Houses and both parties, state legis-
lators, mayors, NGOs and many in the business community;

6. Welcomes the fact that rapidly industrialising developing countries appear to be becoming more
deeply committed to a climate change dialogue and to exploring innovative ways of fighting and adapting
to climate change;

7. Notes with approval the adoption of a series of important implementing measures aimed at ensuring
that the potential of the Kyoto Protocol is properly harnessed and, in particular:

i) the final adoption of the Marrakesh Accords and the Kyoto Rule Book;

ii) the agreement on a proper compliance regime for the Kyoto Protocol;

iii) the strengthening of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), so that it is better funded, less bureau-

cratic and generally more operational;

(1) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2005)0177.
(2) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2005)0433.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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iv) the relaunching of Joint Implementation, so that it too can play a stronger role in the future;

Wednesday, 18 January 2006

v) the adoption of a 5-year programme on adaptation to the effects of climate change, as these will be

vital complementary measures to those aimed at mitigation;

8. Welcomes the recognition at Montreal not only that there needs to be a new commitment period for
Annex I countries to the Kyoto Protocol after 2012, but that there should be no gap between the first and
second commitment periods; believes that this should convey a sense of urgency for the new talks, since
they must be concluded in sufficient time to complete the ratification process; recalls its request in this
context, in its abovementioned resolution of 16 November 2005, that there should be a time limit — the
end of 2008 — for reaching agreement on future climate commitments;

9. Notes that the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol have to submit their initial comments by 15 March 2006
and that the first meeting of the relevant working group is to be held in May 2006;

10. Welcomes also the initiation in the wider Convention context of dialogue aimed at the development
of effective and appropriate national and international responses to climate change, in which all countries
can participate; notes, further, that this will be organised in the form of workshops, that Parties are asked
to submit their initial views by 15 April 2006, and that there is to be a report on the issues raised at the
two forthcoming Conferences of the Parties (COP 12 and COP 13);

11. Calls for an intensive dialogue between the Parliament, Commission and Council in the run-up to all
the above deadlines;

Insists that the EU put forward an ambitious agenda for both sets of talks, in the Kyoto Protocol and

12.
Convention contexts;

13. Recalls two key strategic objectives that were set out in its abovementioned resolution of 16
November 2005:

i) limiting the average global temperature increase to 2° C above pre-industrialisation levels;

ii) undertaking strong emission reductions for developed countries of 30 % by 2020 and of 60-80 % by

2050;

14. Calls for intensive review of the advantages and disadvantages of innovative approaches to comple-
ment new mandatory reductions for Annex I industrialised countries, such as the concept of contraction
and convergence, and the proposed ‘sectoral pledge approach’, whereby key developing countries would
take on voluntary greenhouse-gas-intensity targets for major industrial sectors and would receive market
and technology incentives to exceed these targets;

15. Recalls its support for the continuing use of flexible mechanisms, and for the long-term goal of a
global carbon market based on cap and trade;

Believes that one of the most important ways of combating climate change is by means of tech-
16.
nology development, notes that the EU is to step up its technology cooperation with other countries and
calls, therefore, for a detailed exploration of the possibilities being opened up by new technologies, such as
renewable energy technologies and carbon capture and storage; reiterates that environmental technologies
can give the EU a competitive edge while greatly contributing to emission reduction; notes that environ-
mental technologies are therefore at the heart of a sustainable development strategy compatible with the
EU's Kyoto commitments and the Lisbon Strategy and takes the view that research in this field should be
boosted and clear environmental performance targets should be adopted in order to encourage the use of
the best available technologies;

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Official Journal of the European Union

24.11.2006

Wednesday, 18 January 2006

17. Considers that Annex I industrialised countries must continue to play a vital role in tackling climate
change at world level; calls on Annex I Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, in this context, to meet their existing
commitments and to take on ambitious targets for a second commitment period after 2012; calls, more-
over, on those industrialised countries that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol to reconsider their position,
to take vigorous domestic measures, and to play an active role in future international negotiations, with a
view to their participation in the future climate change regime;

18.
Emphasises the key importance of engaging the rapidly industrialising developing countries in a
future international climate change regime, while fully respecting their vital concerns about promoting
their economic development and fighting poverty; notes their reluctance to take on binding emission
reduction targets at this stage, but hopes that this will ultimately be possible, and considers that adoption
of voluntary sectoral targets might be a useful first step; stresses that poverty and poor environmental
performance go hand in hand and calls therefore on the EU and its Member States to adopt an ambitious
policy of technology partnerships and transfers with developing countries, allowing them to develop their
economy and increase their welfare on a more sustainable and climate-friendly basis;

19.
Insists that individual EU countries, and the EU as a whole, live up to their existing commitments,
since the EU's leading position in international talks will be undermined if this cannot be achieved; under-
takes, in this context, to initiate more systematic monitoring of internal EU action on climate change and
the extent to which existing measures are working;

Emphasises the fundamental importance of an integrated EU approach to climate change policy,
20.
with sectoral policies on energy conservation and renewable energies, transport, agriculture,
industry,
research and development etc., complementing rather than contradicting each other; stresses in particular
the need for close monitoring of these policies as regards their effects on climate change, and for measures
to reduce these effects to the level committed to by the EU in the Kyoto Protocol; recalls its various specific
proposals to this effect in its abovementioned resolution of 16 November 2005;

Stresses that energy policy is a crucial element of our global strategy on climate change: diversifica-
21.
tion of our energy resources and a switch to alternative, more sustainable and environmentally friendly
types of energy possess great potential for emission reduction; notes, furthermore, that diversification will
make the EU less dependent on external sources and less vulnerable to energy supply crises;

22. Calls for a close examination of:

i) the total allocation for 2008-2012 in the European Emissions Trading Scheme in conjunction with
policies and measures in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from other sectors, in order to
ensure the attainment of Kyoto Protocol commitments;

ii) the functioning of the European Emissions Trading Scheme, how it might be further improved in its
forthcoming review (for example by examining alternatives to grandfathering, such as benchmarking
and auctioning), how its scope might be further extended to other sectors, and finally how it might be
linked to schemes in other countries;

iii) use by EU countries of the CDM and Joint Implementation credits to supplement domestic reductions,

as well as their environmental effectiveness;

lead and to fight climate
23. Underlines the need to further strengthen the European technological
change through transfer of technologies, and calls therefore for the development of simple guidelines
within the framework of the CDM and of Joint Implementation projects, especially to enable SMEs to
benefit from the economic potential of the emerging carbon markets;

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Wednesday, 18 January 2006

24. Underlines the need for an effective EU communication strategy on climate change, covering proper
publicity for the latest scientific evidence on the effects of climate change, the costs of inaction, the provi-
sion of detailed information about the carbon content of all products and services, the policy proposals put
forward by the EU, the current status of international negotiations, and the specific steps that will have to
be taken at the levels of the EU, the Member States and the individual citizen;

25. Calls for all of its relevant committees and delegations to work together closely on climate change,
so that its industrial policy, energy policy, transport, agriculture, research and development and other
initiatives are better coordinated with climate change targets, and so that climate change is regularly raised
at interparliamentary delegation level and in the context of the Transatlantic Legislative Dialogue;

26. Reiterates its continued dissatisfaction at the exclusion of its Members who are participating in EU
delegations from attendance at the EU coordination meetings, and calls for this to be resolved rapidly, if
possible before COP 12 in November 2006;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments
27.
and parliaments of the Member States, and the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change, with the request that it be circulated to all non-EU Contracting Parties.

P6_TA(2006)0020

Sustainable development strategy

European Parliament resolution on the environmental aspects of sustainable development
(2005/2051(INI))

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its resolution of 31 May 2001 on environment policy and sustainable development:

preparing for the Gothenburg European Council (1),

— having regard to its resolution of 28 February 2002 on the sustainable development strategy for the

Barcelona Summit (2),

— having regard to its resolutions of 16 May 2002 in preparation for the world summit on sustainable

development in 2002 (3),

— having regard to the Commission working document entitled ‘Integrating environmental considerations

into other policy areas — a stocktaking of the Cardiff process’ (COM(2004)0394),

— having regard to the Commission communication entitled ‘The 2005 Review of the EU Sustainable

Development Strategy: Initial Stocktaking and Future Orientations’ (COM(2005)0037),

— having regard to the conclusions of the Gothenburg (15-16 June 2001), Barcelona (15-16 March 2002)

and Brussels (16-17 June 2005) European Councils,

— having regard to the revised Lisbon strategy adopted by the European Council of 22-23 March 2005,

(1) OJ C 47 E, 21.2.2002, p. 223.
(2) OJ C 293 E, 28.11.2002, p. 84.
(3) OJ C 180 E, 31.7.2003, pp. 507 and 517.