Europe must cut carbon emissions by up to 95%
They also agreed for the first time that emissions from sea transport would be cut by 20% and aviation by 10% below 2005 levels by 2020 — a target the industry warns will be difficult to achieve.
Environment Minister John Gormley said he believes the 80%–95% reduction will have to be achieved before 2050, posing an even greater challenge to Ireland and the rest of the EU.
“We will have to invest hugely in new technology and become a net exporter of green energy,” he said, adding that he welcomed the targets as ministers were now taking account of the science.
Tackling the country’s gas emissions would mean greater investment in public transport and electric cars and the introduction of a carbon tax early next year.
The EU has already agreed to cut emissions by 20% by 2020 and increase this to 30% if there is a deal in Copenhagen. However, for the second time in two days, the issue of money prevented ministers agreeing the ambitious blueprint for the UN’s world conference in Copenhagen in December.
The latest stumbling block concerned what was up to now a little known arrangement with the former Soviet Union and the new eastern and central European members of the EU. To encourage them to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol 10 years ago, they were given huge emission allowances, known as Assigned Amount Units (AAUs), worth an estimated €75 billion that they could sell to countries which had exceeded their CO2 limits. Environment Commissioner Stavos Dimas pointed out they are equivalent to 10 billion tons of greenhouse gasses, which is equal to five times the amount covered by the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Poland and the other countries involved want to carry over these permits into the new post-Kyoto agreement or cash them in, which could collapse the carbon market on which the system is built.
“If this issue is not addressed appropriately it could undermine the whole system and collapse the ETS,” Dimas warned journalists after the meeting.
Poland said it could not afford to give up the AAUs and proposed countries be allowed to keep them but their sale restricted.
Swedish Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren said: “It would be impossible for member states to accept this” and added they will meet again before Copenhagen.
On Tuesday finance ministers failed to agree on funding to help developing countries reduce emissions and cope with the effects of climate change when Poland and eastern member states objected. They want the EU to agree that member states’ contributions will be calculated on the basis of GDPs and not include emissions.
EU leaders meeting next week at their summit in Brussels are expected to decide the issue.
Oxfam Ireland’s Colin Roche said Taoiseach Brian Cowen must insist that the funds to help developing countries do not come from development aid.
“The Commission has proposed a package of €100 billion, but this must be new and additional money to the 0.7% of overseas aid. This needs to be carefully defined.”
