EU's Leverage on Climate Lies in
Leading by Example


March 23rd, 1998



Brussels, Belgium - EU Environment Ministers have to go well beyond the EU's Kyoto target for limiting greenhouse gas emissions or they risk leaving the EU a spent force in the continuing international climate negotiations, WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature urged today, just before the EU Environment Council on 23 March 1998.

The EU's best chance of influencing international developments lies in implementing steps to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by at least 15% by 2010, rather than the 8% cuts agreed at the climate summit in Kyoto last December. Two months prior to Kyoto, the Commission had identified the measures to easily achieve a 15% reduction while being beneficial to the economy.(1) According to the Commission, reductions in other greenhouse gases could be delivered at even lower cost.

In WWF's view, a strategy of leading by example is the EU's only real counter to the tougher and faster-moving United States' negotiators who are aiming to exploit loopholes in the Kyoto agreement to avoid the US having to reduce its emissions.

"The EU thinks it performed well in Kyoto but nothing could be further from the truth. The EU went to Kyoto a lion and returned a lamb," said Andrew Kerr, European Co-ordinator of WWF's Climate Change Campaign. "United States negotiators overwhelmed the slow-moving Europeans on virtually all issues."

"EU policymakers have to understand that the EU's main chance in influencing the international climate talks lies in striving for more ambitious emission cuts than other industrialised countries," continued Kerr. "As it stands, the difference between the Kyoto commitments for the EU and the US is too small to provide the EU with sufficient political leverage to close damaging escape clauses in the Kyoto agreement. And it appears to substantiate inaccurate US claims that the EU was being too ambitious in its proposals all along."

At last December's Kyoto climate conference, the EU allocated itself a target of reducing emissions of six greenhouse gases by 8% from 1990 levels over the period up to 2008-2012, while the US accepted a 7% cut.

WWF is concerned that implementing the Kyoto target could reverse European efforts to combat climate change. If Member States meet their existing commitments it would mean an overall cut in EU CO2 emissions of around 7% by 2005. In contrast, the Kyoto target could mean only 4-8% cuts in CO2 as late as 2012.

Contact:
Andrew Kerr, tel: +31 20 676 9058,
or
Martin Hiller,+32 2743 8806