Resolution on the climate change conference in Warsaw, Poland (COP 19)

The European Parliament adopted by 524 votes to 120, with 14 abstentions a resolution on the climate change conference to be held in Warsaw, Poland (COP 19) from 11 to 23 November 2013.

The resolution was tabled by the ENVI committee, EPP, S&D, Greens/EFA, ALDE, ECR and GUE/NGL groups.

Advancing the Durban Platform: Parliament emphasised the significant work that needed to be undertaken on the principles and framework applicable to the new global climate agreement and the pathway towards achieving this by the time COP 21 is held in Paris in 2015. The 2015 agreement needed to meet the goal of reducing global emissions to below 1990 levels by 2030 and should aim at phasing out global carbon emissions by 2050.

Parliament called for a COP Decision in Warsaw setting out the timetable and process for committing all Parties to formulate mitigation commitments in 2014, and subsequently to assess and revise them in 2015.

The resolution considered that the internationally legally binding protocol under negotiation in the Durban Platform should build on the rules already agreed under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol. The post-2020 agreement would have to bring together the current ‘patchwork’ of binding and non-binding arrangements under the UN climate convention and the Kyoto Protocol into a single coherent regime that binds all Parties. Parliament emphasised that the post-2020 agreement should no longer divide the world into categories of ’developing’ or ‘industrialised’ countries, but should require each country to contribute according to the principle of  ‘common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDRRC). Emissions reductions calculated on the basis of a set of indicators, including GDP per capita, access to technology, the quality of life index and others might be a valid tool. Members noted that the failure to develop an equitable approach to sharing mitigation and adaptation effort among countries had been a barrier to reaching an adequate agreement, and stated that equity, including a dynamic approach to CBDRRC, must be at the heart of the new agreement for it to deliver an adequate climate response.

They recalled that EU emissions represent about 11 % of global emissions and would represent an even lower share in the decades to come. Higher ambition and acceptance of ambitious climate change policies could be achieved by industrial actors and energy sectors if a higher level of ambition were shown through similar efforts on the part of other global economies.

Mitigation gap: Members noted that the EU is on track to achieve emissions reductions well beyond the current 20 % target, and reiterated that the EU had offered to increase its emission reduction target to 30 % by 2020 if other major emitting countries commit to comparable reduction targets, thus creating sustainable growth and additional jobs and reducing dependence on energy imports.

Members recalled that the industrialised countries needed to reduce their emissions by 25 % to 40 % below 1990 levels by 2020, while the developing countries as a group should look to achieve a substantial reduction from the currently predicted emissions growth rate, in the order of 15 % to 30 %, by 2020. They reiterated the urgent need to raise the level of global ambition between now and 2020, in order to stay within the 2 ºC objective.

Parliament also noted that the EU could fulfil its vital role in reducing emissions through policies to stop the development of highly greenhouse-gas-intensive unconventional fossil fuels such as tar sands. It took the view that public subsidies supporting the development of unconventional fossil fuels should be phased out.

Climate finance: stressing that scaling up climate finance to USD 100 billion per year by 2020 is critical to securing progress in Warsaw, Parliament deplored the fact that the current average ODA level of 0.29 % of GDP is far from the 0.7 % commitment and called on all Parties present at the COP to explain how they intend to scale up climate finance on a year-by-year basis in order to deliver their commitment made in Copenhagen in 2009 to mobilise USD 100 billion per year by 2020, in a way that is additional to the commitment to pay 0.7 % of GNI as ODA.

International aviation and maritime transport: Members emphasised that a price on carbon emissions from international aviation and maritime transport is needed and reiterated their call for an international instrument with global emission reduction targets to curb the climate impact of maritime transport.

Energy policy: the resolution welcomed recent signals from the US Government regarding climate action and its willingness to play a greater role in global efforts to address climate change. It called for the EU and its partners to find, in the immediate future, the most effective way of promoting links between the EU ETS and other trading schemes with the aim of achieving a global carbon market, ensuring greater diversity of abatement options, improved market size and liquidity, transparency and, ultimately, the more efficient allocation of resources for the energy sector and industry. Members also called for closer coordination between the Council, the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) so as to enable the EU to speak with one coherent voice in international organisations.

European Parliament delegation: the EU delegation played a vital role in the climate change negotiations, and Members found it unacceptable that Members of the European Parliament had been unable to attend the EU coordination meetings at previous Conferences of the Parties. They expected at least the Chair of the European Parliament delegation to be allowed to attend EU coordination meetings in Warsaw.