Green Options » european parliament

Europe Says Financial Crisis Doesn’t Trump Climate Change

Zachary Shahan — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:30:03 +0000

In a meeting with environment and energy ministers from other European countries yesterday, Sweden’s Minister of Environment, Andreas Carlgren, said that global economic problems should in no way slow movement to address climate change. Other leading European ministers agreed.

Economic problems today are in many ways a result of environmental missteps in the past. If we want a healthy economy in the future, we have to take the environment into account more than we have. The Swedish Minister of the Environment agrees and says that there should be no hesitation to combat climate change due to the current economic situation.

Clinton: “U.S. has been negligent in living up to its responsibilities” for Global Warming

Timothy B. Hurst — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:22:40 +0000

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a group of young Europeans at the European Parliament in Brussels today that the global economic downturn provided a fresh new opportunity. “Never waste a good crisis,” Secretary Clinton suggested. “Don’t waste it when it can have a very positive impact on climate change and energy security,” she said.

Clinton also said she was encouraged during her recent trip to Asia by China’s evolving position on forging a new climate policy. A policy that is inextricably linked with economic and energy security.

“There is no doubt in my mind the energy security and climate change crises, which I view as being together, not separate, must be dealt with,” Clinton added.

Europe has already agreed to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent from 1990 levels in the next decade and President Obama has proposed to cut carbon dioxide emissions 80 percent by 2050.

But with a struggling global economy, including a tanking European carbon market, some European states have already shown trepidation towards aggressive climate policy.

AP Photo courtesy of US Department of State

EU Sets Landmark Renewable Energy Target of 20% by 2020

Timothy B. Hurst — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:21:02 +0000

EU officials have agreed to a bill requiring twenty percent of Europe’s energy to come from renewable sources by 2020.

The European Parliament reached a landmark deal on Tuesday by agreeing to meet 20 percent of Europe’s energy needs with renewable sources by 2020. Meeting in Brussels in advance of the EU climate summit later this week in Poznan, Poland, representatives of 27 EU member states hammered out the bold agreement, despite it being almost derailed by two substantial challenges.

Europe Gets Tougher On Heavy Co2 Emitters

Mark Seall — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:34:35 +0000

Legislators in Europe are getting increasingly tough on products which emit large quantities of Co2, with patio heaters and large cars coming into focus during the past week.

Patio heaters have seen a big increase in popularity in the past year: Since the introduction of indoor smoking bans in many European countries, smokers can often be found huddled under the heaters as they take their nicotine breaks outside of bars and restaurants. In some countries, the UK in particular, the heaters have also proved to be an effective way to extend outdoor eating beyond the 3 days per year usually permitted by the weather.

Many larger retailers have already removed the heaters from their shelves, considering them to be particularly anti-social products due to their heavy energy usage. However, many smokers and outdoor diners may soon be quitting the habit or shivering in the cold as the heaters and are set to be banned outright under new legislation currently being considered by the European Parliament.

Leading the proposal, European Member of Parliament Fiona Hall said "Patio heaters are scandalous because they are burning fossil fuels in the open sky, so producing vast quantities of CO2 with very little heat benefit.”