The European Union has reached a deal on ”ambitious and credible” targets to tackle climate change and energy needs, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday after a summit of EU leaders.
The agreement commits Europe to take the lead in fighting global warming by setting binding targets to cut greenhouse gases and ensure one-fifth of the bloc’s energy comes from green power sources, such as wind turbines and solar panels.
Controversially, the draft, which was expected to be endorsed by the leaders by the end of Friday’s summit, also notes the role nuclear power could play in tackling greenhouse-gas emissions.
”This is a new qualitative difference in terms of the whole question of energy sourcing,” Merkel said as she announced the plan that would require greenhouse-gas emissions to be cut by at least 20% from 1990 levels by 2020, and ensure 20% of its power comes from renewable energy, a massive hike from the current figure of just more than 6%.
She said there is still time to reduce the overall increase in global temperatures to below two degrees Celsius. ”We could avoid what could well be human calamity.”
European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said the agreement shows that Europe is able to take important and firm steps on global warming. ”We can say to the rest of the world, Europe is taking the lead, you should join us in fighting climate change,” he said.
European leaders hope their commitments will encourage other leading polluters, such as the United States and China, to agree on deep emissions cuts. Merkel plans to present the new EU plans to a June summit of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that, in addition to the EU move, a G8 agreement on a framework for a global agreement would create ”the best chance” of getting the US, China and India to tackle climate change.
”These are a set of groundbreaking, bold, ambitious targets for the EU,” he said. ”It gives Europe a clear leadership position on this crucial issue facing the world.”
WHERE THE EU IS AND WHAT IT PLANS TO DO NEXT
Greenhouse gases
Now: 15 EU nations, mostly in wealthy Western Europe, have agreed to cut greenhouse-gas emissions by 8% below 1990 levels by 2012. They are set to scrape under that target with most of the hard work taking place in the next five years as major carbon polluters — heavy industry and power plants — trade carbon-dioxide allowances that encourage them to cut emissions.
New: All 27 EU nations will cut overall greenhouse-gas emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2020, going further with a 30% cut if other world regions join in.
Renewable energy
Now: The EU is currently slated to miss a target to generate 12% of all energy from renewable sources by 2010, and is likely not to go over 10%. In 2005, the EU got to 6%, with Britain, The Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Cyprus and Malta all at less than 3%.
New: A binding target will force countries to invest heavily in the sector to draw an overall 20% of all power from renewables by 2020. But the EU said it will agree on individual targets with each country to take account of ”different starting positions”.
Biofuels
Now: The EU is also not on track to meet a target to use 5,75% of biofuels in transport fuel by 2010. But biofuels took only 1% of that market in 2005, with only Sweden and Germany hitting 2%. The EU forecasts that at best biofuels will only gain a 4,2% share in three years.
New: The EU wants to set a mandatory target for biofuels to replace 10% of transport petrol and diesel by 2020, a massive increase that will demand a rapid scale-up of the technology used to derive fuel from sugar and plant-oil crops.
Reducing energy use
Now: No target, but there are voluntary programmes and campaigns to promote lower-power appliances.
New: The EU set a range of actions in an effort to cut energy use by 13% below current levels by promoting more efficient appliances, lighting and heating, including a plan to require energy-saving street lighting and light bulbs in homes and offices. It will also push for an international deal to cut energy consumption.
— Sapa-AP