Brussels Briefing - Environment

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Category : EU Environment | Sub-Category : EU Climate | Programme : Brussels' Briefings

Hosted by Sonja van Renssen

Brussels Briefing is viEUws latest programme. Throughout the year our journalists will bring you a short briefing on the topics we are covering.

The BB's are covering the latest policy developments in a nutshell and what to expect for the near future. In about six weeks intervalls we will revise the BB's and bring you all the updates.

Transcript:

Hello and welcome to viEUws’ Brussels briefing on climate and environment.

The big event right now is the international UN climate conference in Durban, South Africa, which has started this week. Nobody expects a legally binding climate deal, but EU negotiators are pinning their hopes on a politically binding roadmap signed by at least all major emitters. In it, they would agree to start negotiations on a new global climate treaty as soon as possible and conclude them by 2015.

All major emitters – including China and India – would face legally binding emission reduction commitments, although the ambition of these would differ in line with Kyoto’s principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. In other words, China would have an easier target than the US, for example.

In return for such a roadmap, the EU would be ready to commit, in Durban, to a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol.

It’s ambitious stuff, but already the obstacles are looming. It’s uncertain whether the Obama administration can commit the US to any kind of agreement on climate right now. Without the US, there’s no China. Meanwhile, some countries, such as Russia, have already suggested a later date such as 2018 might be more appropriate for a new climate treaty. Canada, Japan and Russia have also ruled out extending their commitment to Kyoto, leaving the EU alone in offering this as an incentive to emerging economies to sign up to the new roadmap.

Also on other issues where Durban is expected to make progress, such as climate finance, it is far from assured: the economic crisis has drained public budgets and alternative sources of money, such as a levy on emissions from international aviation and shipping, or a financial transaction tax, are garnering little international support.

In other climate-related developments in Europe, the debate over the EU’s planned inclusion of aviation in its emission trading scheme next year is getting hotter. The European Court of Justice provisionally came down in favour of the EU in October, but the legal and political challenge from foreign airlines, led by the US, has only intensified. This issue will undoubtedly come up at Durban and could yet derail progress in the international climate talks.

Equally unpopular is a long-awaited European Commission proposal on oil sands, which recognises that they cause 23% more greenhouse gas emissions than regular oil. In practice this would prevent Canada exporting its oil sands to Europe. Canada is still lobbying hard against the proposal, along with the oil industry, and almost all member states reportedly oppose it. For it to become law, they would have to approve it.

Another other hotly contested proposal that has yet to make it out of the Commission is one to take account of ILUC, or indirect land-use change in biofuel policy. NGOs are arguing for crop-specific ILUC factors that would be hugely damaging to the EU biodiesel industry especially, but deliver clear environmental benefits. Producers prefer an incentive-based approach. All agree a decision is needed as soon as possible, but this now looks likely only to come in January.

Climate stakeholders are also keeping an eye on at least one big energy topic with important climate implications: the Commission’s 2050 energy roadmap due on 13 December. This will set out various decarbonisation scenarios to 2050, providing details over the potential roles of efficiency, renewables, nuclear, carbon capture and storage and biofuels. Three progressive utilities – Dong Energy from Denmark, Eneco from The Netherlands and SSE from the UK – are calling for it to pave the way to a second climate and energy package that would set binding targets for efficiency, renewables and emission reductions in 2030. A draft of the roadmap is much more cautious.

In the meantime, MEPs and member states are also getting their teeth stuck into European Commission proposals on new energy efficiency measures for 2020 and a transport white paper. On efficiency, member states are showing reluctance to adopt new, ambitious binding measures, while the Parliament’s rapporteur Claude Turmes is proposing binding national energy savings targets.

On transport, member states have expressed doubts about its proposed 60% emission reduction target for 2050, while MEPs want to introduce an interim target for 2020. Other elements such as a proposed modal shift of freight from road to rail are also coming under scrutiny on both sides.

Finally, a new climate-related debate getting underway in Brussels is on f-gases, or refrigerants, which have a strong global warming potential. The Commission is consulting on options to improve its f-gas regulation with a view to issuing legislative proposals early next year. Some NGOs are already calling for a full ban, while industry points to environmentally-friendly alternatives. Within industry, there are competing substitutes on offer. This is a debate that promises to heat up as time goes on.

Well, that’s it from us for now. To keep on top of what’s happening in Durban and find about more about what the EU is up to on climate and environment policy, we look forward to seeing you back on viEUws very soon. Thank you and goodbye.

Posted on : 29/11/11

Hosted by : Sonja van Renssen