International Climate Negotiations

13. Feb. 2013

Working towards a fair and ambitious global Climate deal

The EU has a leading role to play in securing an international climate agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The adoption of a negotiations roadmap at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties meeting in Bali (COP13) in December 2007 paved the way for an international deal at the meeting of the COP15 in Copenhagen in December 2009. Regrettably, COP15 did not produce an agreement and the following COPs only managed to save the negotiation process, leaving the most pressing issue - namely the necessity for the world to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions so global warming can be limited to 2°C - completely aside.

Introduction

International Climate Negotiations

14. Nov. 2016 blog

COP22: EU, don’t leave for tomorrow what you can do today

Today, the second week of COP22 has started. The real economy is proving to move faster than politics and early action is demonstrating to be vital to accomplish what we committed to in the Paris Agreement. 2018 is the perfect time to improve and revise all national commitments and review ambition before countries submit their final commitments for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.  

07. Nov. 2016 blog

Start of COP22: a day to celebrate

The last year has seen a major change in global attitudes towards climate change and how to tackle it. This change started after the Paris Agreement - the first globally binding agreement to fight climate change - was reached in December 2015. Today, COP22 kicks off in Marrakesh, Morocco. COP22 is the time to start turning words into action and to build upon what was agreed in Paris last year.  

12. Oct. 2016 blog

F-gas regulation proves environmental policy does make a difference

In 2013, Green Member of the European Parliament Bas Eickhout co-authored European legislation to reduce the use of F-gases, extremely powerful greenhouse gases. His legislation is probably the most ambitious climate legislation the EU has adopted in recent years. Recent research shows that the legislation has had a positive effect on the green economy in Europe, in contradiction to warnings by lobbyists, and now the legislation is copied across the world.  

27. Sep. 2016 blog

Planes need to stop existing in a parallel universe when it comes to the climate fight

Curbing flight emissions is essential to meeting the Paris pact, but planes are completely absent from the text, face no legal fuel efficiency requirements or limits on CO2 emissions. But all that is about to change