20. May. 2013
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With its ice melting at an unprecented rate, the Arctic region is attracting a growing number of actors. This is setting off a global competition for influence and economic opportunities far beyond the nations that border the Arctic. The Greens have for long warned about the necessity to protect this vulnerable region, which is also the first victim of climate change...
07. May. 2013
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Last week, more than 170 countries restarted negotiations on a 2015 climate deal at the World Conference Centre in Bonn. Despite the fact that the discussions went surprisingly well and that the meeting defined some flexible ways to fight climate change, there was no real breakthrough. Discussions at the next meeting in June need to be much more focused.
15. Apr. 2013
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Tomorrow the Parliament is to vote on a proposal from the Commission to set aside a number of allowances to ensure the well functionning of the EU carbon market. The suppression of 900 million allowances from the beginning to the end of phase 3 (2013-2020) - while clearly not being sufficient - is absolutely necessary to prevent the current system from collapsing ....
10. Apr. 2013
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The European Parliament is to soon vote on a future EU directive on offshore drilling. The EU Energy Commissioner has previously promised to ensure that an accident such as Deepwater Horizon in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico would never happen in EU waters. But the draft legislation as it is fails to address the current gaps in EU rules on offshore exploration and does not ask for a moratorium on drilling in sensitive or extreme environments like the Arctic...
04. Apr. 2013
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Tomorrow, the Commission will publish its new Green Paper on the 2030 climate and energy policy framework. The Greens/EFA group is pushing for three different climate and energy targets: a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target (also known as 'Climate target'), an EU-wide renewables target and an EU-wide energy efficiency target.
19. Mar. 2013
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This year, the European Parliament will once again participate to `Earth Hour`: It will turn off all its lights on Saturday 23rd March from 20.30 to 21.30 to raise awareness about the importance of energy saving. The Greens welcome the move, but want to challenge the institution to go beyond the event to really ensure that Europe does reduce its energy consumption, not only for an hour but also all year long and for good!
11. Mar. 2013
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Two years have gone since the nuclear accident took place in Fukushima. Since the 11th March 2011, the Greens/EFA group has had numerous exchanges of views with Japanese citizens to learn from their experience and to make sure that the right decisions are made at EU level to ensure the safety of European citizens.
26. Feb. 2013
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Today, the Environment committee in the European Parliament will vote on the Commission`s proposal to “stop the clock” on aviation in the ETS. The Greens regret that the EU yield to the pressure, which will undermine the efforts by other sectors to reduce their emissions...
21. Feb. 2013
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Today a provisional deal was reached between the European Parliament, Commission and Council during the third informal trialogue on the safety of offshore oil and gas activities. The Greens expressed regret about the outcome, which will fail to provide for ambitious safety supervision and falls short in terms of provisions on liability in the case of accidents, and urged MEPs not to endorse the deal.
18. Feb. 2013
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Tomorrow the environment committee is to vote on whether to back a Commission plan to postpone the auctioning of 900 million CO2 allowances from the EU carbon market (so called `backloading`). The Greens/EFA group calls on the ENVI MEPs to back the plan but warns that more changes will need to follow to ensure the efficiency of the scheme...
23. Jan. 2013
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Mid-December 2011, the European Commission adopted the Communication on "Energy Roadmap 2050". Tomorrow the ITRE Committee will set out its position. The Greens/EFA group - which has already demonstrated in its `Vision Scenario` that a 100% renewable energy based economy by 2050 can be achieved - calls on the Commission to now quickly come forward with an ambitious binding 2030 renewable energy target as well as binding EU wide targets for energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions.
10. Jan. 2013
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Some decision-makers from the richest countries often seem to believe that whatever turns the climate will take, the world will always find a way to adapt to the changes. But the recent natural catastrophes in the US, Australia and in Europe shows that this is far from being so simple, even for those regions which have the means to invest in research and development, technologies and infrastructure....
08. Dec. 2012
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It is seems like it is becoming a trend: Like COP17 in Durban, the climate talks went through the night and will certainly continue for some time before the final plenary takes place... If the final agreement is far from being reached yet, the enormous lack of ambition is already very clear...
07. Dec. 2012
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Green MEP Satu Hassi, official member of the Greens/EFA group in the delegation of the European Parliament in COP18, shares her personal impressions on the UN climate talks
06. Dec. 2012
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Doha, COP18, day 10. Things are still progressing at snail`s pace on the future Kyoto Protocol and on the two other LCA and ADP tracks. With only a day and a half left before the UN talks resume the Greens/EFA group urges the EU to stop procrastinating and show real leadership.
05. Dec. 2012
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The `hot air` issue has been under discussion for several years but yet the EU is still uncapable of agreeing on cancelling those surplus emission permits. The Greens/EFA urge EU members states to do this quickly in order for the EU to be able to play a leading role at the COP18 and ensure that this internal split does not derail what is currently the world`s most important discussion.
04. Dec. 2012
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Day 9. COP18. Ministers and some heads of state have now arrived and the high-level segment of the conference has started. The Greens/EFA encourage the EU leaders to come with concrete action and clear financial pledges so Europe can show to the most vulnerable countries that it is serious about the promises it made in the past.
03. Dec. 2012
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A recent analysis made by Oil change International revealed that rich countries spend five times more on fossil-fuel subsidies than on aid to help developing nations cut their emissions and protect against the effects of climate change...
01. Dec. 2012
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Here we are at a new COP again, in Doha this time. The first week of the UN climate talks is now slowly coming to an end, and sadly none of the developed countries have shown willigness to go beyond their usual arguments defending their climate inaction. From next Tuesday onwards, all eyes will be on high-level ministers who are slowly arriving in the Qatari capital. The Greens/EFA hope that much more positive announcements will be made in next 7 days and that this year again, the EU will be determined to have a constructive approach.
22. Nov. 2012
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The next round of the UN climate negotiations is just round the corner and several key studies have highlighted the deperate need for more serious global climate action. The whole European Parliament will vote on its position on the COP18 this lunchtime. The Greens call for the EU to lead by example in order to give momuntum to the UN climate talks...
