Childers says with less than 50 days to go before UN summit, climate change deal is on a knife-edge

Posted by Bronwen Maher on October 19, 2009 at 02:52 PM

Europe urged to show leadership to break talks deadlock on crucial climate change agreement 
 
Labour MEP Nessa Childers has said that an internationally binding deal on climate change is “on a knife edge” and the EU must “show leadership and intervene to break the deadlock in negotiations on a new international agreement.”
 
The only Irish member of the European Parliament’s Environment (ENVI) Committee said, “On December 7th, the UN Climate Conference will open in Copenhagen and the world will try to agree a solution to the stark climate crisis facing us all. From the hearings with UN officials and NGOs I have participated in on the Environment Committee of the European Parliament, it is clear the deal is now on a knife edge.
 
“In recent days there have been a number of warnings that progress is stalling, with Rajendra Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change telling Newsweek magazine that ‘the prospect that states will actually agree to anything in Copenhagen are starting to look worse and worse.’
 
“Despite fine words from President Obama, the US Congress seems unable or unwilling to pass national legislation to reduce emissions. Consequently China, India and other emerging countries are not ready to accept ambitious emission reduction targets which are binding. This dangerous game of brinkmanship must be brought to an end and the EU must use its influence to bring this about.” 
 
Nessa Childers continued, “Europe is already leading on this issue, committing last year to 20% binding targets to cut CO2 emissions, rising to 30% as part of any international agreement. Now it is again time for Europe to lead and to break the negotiations deadlock. The key to this is Europe making a serious offer of new financing to the developing world to help them fight climate change. They did not cause this crisis, but they are the first ones to feel the severe effects.
 
“Europe has an historic responsibility to clean up the climate mess we helped create, but we also have an historic opportunity to be the winners in the race to build the worlds leading low carbon economy. The global economic recovery presents an ideal opportunity for countries to shift towards low carbon growth. Countries which don’t seize this opportunity will undermine their own future competitiveness and prosperity.
 
“Under Fianna Fail, Ireland's competitiveness has continually declined. We must make it a national imperative to develop our own indigenous resources for wind and oceanic renewable energy. We must focus harder on energy efficiency, especially in the building and transport sectors. Ireland has been a laggard on these issues for too long.
 
“This crisis must been seen as an historic opportunity to transform our economy and set us up for a low-carbon and prosperous 21st century. I call on the Irish government to play a constructive role as possible over the final fifty days of negotiations.

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