National Parliamentarians of GLOBE Europe: Europe needs a 30% CO2 emissions cut for 2020, and it can be done
Tuesday, 05 May 2009 14:30 | 
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On April 30th, the national Focal Points of GLOBE Europe, a cross-party network of environmentally-minded parliamentarians, met at the European Parliament in Brussels for a 1-day strategy meeting. During the meeting they agreed on the need to call on the EU Council to put forward a satisfactory funding proposal to finance climate change mitigation and adaptation as soon as possible, ahead of the COP-15 in Copenhagen next December. Click here to see the agenda.
Convinced that in order to keep global warming below 2°C, it will be necessary to cut the greenhouse gas emissions of the EU by 30% by 2020 in light of the latest scientific evidence, they agreed that although a rigorous implementation of the EU Climate and Energy Package will be a precondition for success, additional strategies must be put in place as well.
The day started with an introductory presentation by Prof. Kevin Noone from the University of Stockholm, Executive Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme of the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences. He offered the members a summary of the outcomes of the IARU Climate Change Congress in Copenhagen as the most updated scientific evidence on climate change, imbedded in a broader presentation of global environmental change and the notion of 'planetary boundaries'.
Convinced that in order to keep global warming below 2°C, it will be necessary to cut the greenhouse gas emissions of the EU by 30% by 2020 in light of the latest scientific evidence, they agreed that although a rigorous implementation of the EU Climate and Energy Package will be a precondition for success, additional strategies must be put in place as well.
The day started with an introductory presentation by Prof. Kevin Noone from the University of Stockholm, Executive Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme of the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences. He offered the members a summary of the outcomes of the IARU Climate Change Congress in Copenhagen as the most updated scientific evidence on climate change, imbedded in a broader presentation of global environmental change and the notion of 'planetary boundaries'.
Against this backdrop, throughout the day the parliamentarians were briefed by high-level experts on the potential to secure additional emission reductions by increasing energy efficiency, promoting electro-mobility, and fostering the expansion of renewables in the electricity mix of Europe by building a pan-European «supergrid» infrastructure able to bring renewable power to the European electricity markets from geographically dispersed sources of renewable energy.
GLOBE Europe put forward a discussion paper with a non-exhaustive list of specific legislative recommendations which would further these strategies, as a tool to quickstart or inform the debate at national level on these issues. As Focal Points of the network, the participants at the strategy meeting will now work with fellow GLOBE members in each of the EU's national parliaments to shape up the proposed Recommendations and work togheter towards the achievement of the objectives set at the meeting.
GLOBE Europe put forward a discussion paper with a non-exhaustive list of specific legislative recommendations which would further these strategies, as a tool to quickstart or inform the debate at national level on these issues. As Focal Points of the network, the participants at the strategy meeting will now work with fellow GLOBE members in each of the EU's national parliaments to shape up the proposed Recommendations and work togheter towards the achievement of the objectives set at the meeting.
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