The European Parliament rejected Tuesday a motion to support more ambitious climate targets, in a move that shows how the fight against climate change is losing steam even in the European Union, after a similar setback just days ago among government representatives.
The European Parliament rejected Tuesday a motion to support more
ambitious climate targets, in a move that shows how the fight against climate
change is losing steam even in the European Union, after a similar setback just
days ago among government representatives.
The European Parliament rejected in a vote in
Strasbourg
,
France
, a
political resolution calling for an increase to 30% of the present target of
cutting carbon dioxide emissions in the EU by 20% by 2020, compared with 1990. The
parliament voted down the whole document, after support to one amendment--the
vote was carried out amendment by amendment--watered down the initial proposal.
"Better to have no position than a bad position with no progress,"
said Jo Leinen, the German socialist who chairs the Parliament's environment
committee, in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires.
The Parliament's vote comes just two weeks after
Poland
--which
now holds the rotating EU presidency until the end of the year--refused to sign
off to the conclusions of a meeting of environment ministers because it
allegedly suggested that the EU could move to a 25% cut by 2020.
The rejection of the resolution is not going to have a direct impact on the EU
climate policy because it is only a political initiative that the Parliament
uses to set out its view. However, it is a sign that momentum for climate
change policies is fading even in the EU, which has traditionally had the
ambition to lead the world by example on the issue.
But the cost of these policies at a time of national budget constraints and
worries about the financial stability of some countries, together with a slow
momentum in international negotiations for a global deal are crippling
political support.
"The economic and financial crisis is clearly putting pressure" on
Europe
's
green credentials, said Leinen. "We have to reflect on what to do"
now, he said, adding that the Parliament has to have a position on climate
change before the next global negotiations on the issue in South Africa in
December and will likely tackle the issue again after the summer.
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