The European Commission yesterday set out its future policies for tackling climate change when the first commitment period under the Kyoto protocol ends in 2012. The proposals open the door to bring major emitters and rapidly emerging economies on board. The communication also suggests maritime transport and aviation as sectors that must be included in a post-2012 regime.

Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: “Fighting climate change is not a matter of choice, but a matter of necessity. We will continue to lead by example, but we will also continue to pressure hard for all of our international partners to come on board. I am convinced that it is still possible to keep to our commitment of limiting temperature increases to a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius. What is more, our projections indicate that the costs associated with the post-2012 strategy as outlined today are manageable for our economies.”

Proposals are made on how to develop increased energy efficiency and security of energy supply, including an increase in EU spending on research, and the development of new climate-friendly technologies for which demand is growing.

The Commission's report recommends that the EU's post-2012 strategy include the following elements:

<b>* Broader international participation in reducing emissions.</b> The EU should continue to lead multilateral efforts to address climate change, but identify incentives for other major emitting countries, including developing countries, to come on board. During 2005, it should explore options for a future regime based on common but differentiated responsibilities.

<b>* Inclusion of more sectors,</b> notably aviation, maritime transport and forestry since deforestation in some regions significantly contributes to rising greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

<b>* A push for innovation in the EU</b> to ensure the development and uptake of new climate-friendly technologies and the right decisions on long-term investments into the energy, transport and building infrastructure.

<b>* The continued use of flexible market-based instruments for reducing emissions in the EU and globally,</b> such as the EU emissions trading scheme.

<b>* Adaptation policies in the EU and globally,</b> which require more efforts to identify vulnerabilities and to implement measures to increase resilience.

Further information is available <a href="http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/155&amp;format=HTML&amp;aged=0&amp;language=en&amp;guiLanguage=en">here</a>.

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"The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Yesterday - February 2 - the Canadian federal government also outlined a budget related to Kyoto.

Please check the government of canada site.

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christopher

&gt; Yesterday - February 2 -

Posted 24th Feb.

Wow! That's a bigger timewarp even than than the one that Oxford sits in!!!

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