In adopting a joint resolution on the EU strategy for the Nairobi Conference on Climate Change, the European Parliament urged the European Union to maintain its leading role in the negotiations at the COP 12-COP/MOP 2 Conference in Nairobi, and to maintain a high level of ambition in future discussions with its international partners.
Parliament recalled its request that there should be no gap between the first and the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol and that the time limit for reaching agreement on future climate commitments should be the end of 2008. It also recalled its support for the continuing use of flexible mechanisms, and for the long-term goal of a global carbon market based on cap and trade.
Parliament called on the parties to COP 12-COP/MOP 2 to address the climate change impacts of international aviation and called for a discussion on a global tax on flights at the upcoming negotiations at the COP 12-COP/MOP 2 Conference in Nairobi.
The resolution stresses that economic development is a right for all developing countries. Parliament emphasises, however, that developing countries do not have to repeat the polluting practices of the industrialised countries, and calls therefore for increased attention to be paid to technology cooperation and capacity building in the field of sustainable energy.
Industrialised countries must continue to play a vital role in tackling climate change at world level. Annex I Parties must meet their existing commitments and take on ambitious targets for a second commitment period after 2012. Those industrialised countries that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol should reconsider their position, and take vigorous domestic measures with a view to their participation in the future climate change regime.
MEPs called on the Commission and the Council to make access to efficient and low-carbon energy technologies a priority within EU development cooperation. Parliament also emphasised the key importance of engaging the rapidly industrialising developing countries in a future international climate change regime, while fully respecting their vital concerns about promoting their economic development and fighting poverty.
Parliament insisted that individual EU countries, and the European Union as a whole, live up to their existing commitments under the Kyoto Protocol and the burden sharing agreement, since the EU’s leading position in international talks would be undermined if this cannot be achieved. It felt that the EU delegation played an important role in these negotiations on climate change, and therefore found it unacceptable that the members of the European Parliament part of that delegation were unable to attend the EU coordination meetings at the previous Conference of the Parties.