Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-10-06-Speech-3-206"
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"en.19991006.7.3-206"2
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"Mr President, Members of the European Parliament, I would like to thank you for this opportunity to inform Parliament of the work of the Council and its views on climate policy. Climate policy is one of the greatest of all the environmental challenges that exist on a global basis, and I believe that it will continue to be so throughout the next century. Climate change will have immense social and economic effects. Obviously, the more we allow the climate to change, the greater these effects will be.
One issue that people are just becoming aware of is the likely effects of climate change on health. Many researchers believe that the increase in the number of storms and flooding are a sign that the climate is changing. Obviously, these have a direct effect on people’s health. But still more significant are the indirect effects of climate change that stem from changes in the ecosystem. It is predicted that, for example, warmer and drier summers in many areas will mean smaller harvests. It is also predicted that, as a result of warmer climates, many diseases spread by what are known as vectors, such as those spread by insects, will increase. It is predicted, for example, that malaria may spread to southern parts of Europe and the United States. Ultimately we could also have a situation where a new type of gap emerges between rich and poor: the health gap. This is just one example of the dramatic effects that climate change could bring with it. For that reason, it is vital that we prevent, or at least slow down, climate change.
The agreement that was made in Kyoto is an important step forward, but one that does not go nearly far enough. It is important to realise that beyond the commitments of Kyoto, new commitments have to be made in order to sufficiently slow down climate change. But in spite of that, achieving the commitments made at Kyoto will take a lot of effort and a significant change to the way the problem has been dealt with up until now.
The European Union’s action consists of two main areas. One is the Union’s own action to reduce emissions, and the other is the work of the Union in international negotiations. The Union’s own action and the action taken in the Member States at national level to reduce emissions are essential in order to maintain the international dimension. It is worrying that, according to a report by the European Environmental Agency, the ‘business as usual’ attitude will lead to an increase in emissions in the Union and not the reduction of 8% by the year 2010, to which we are committed. This means that new policy action is needed.
One of the most important objectives of the Finnish presidential term is to achieve first sector strategies for energy, transport and agriculture. Without such strategies it will not be possible to achieve the reductions in emissions we are committed to. I believe it is important that a continuous process should emerge from these sector strategies, i.e. that we should not be content with the first versions but that at regular intervals sector strategies in the areas of transport and energy, for example, should be reviewed and targets should be set that are ever more ambitious.
In my opinion, what is most important in international talks is to resolve issues that are still open, enabling us to start to ratify the Kyoto Protocol so that it may come into effect and become binding. It is Finland’s objective at the Fifth Party Summit at Bonn to make decisive progress in the creation of rules relating to the Kyoto mechanisms and rules for monitoring the agreement. Our aim is that, ideally, the Fifth Party Summit should produce a draft agreement, which will obviously have sluice-gates in it, but which will enable us to adhere to a timetable, thus making it possible to conclude the agreement at the Sixth Party Summit, meaning that progress in the Party Summit this autumn is essential.
One of the most difficult issues is the main role played by the less developed and the industrialised countries. As the country holding the Presidency, Finland will also work to ensure that climate policy and development policy support one another. We also have in the Development Council conclusions being drafted on the connection between climate policy and development policy. It is important to bring technology, for example, to the less developed nations. The most important mechanism here will be the Clean Development Mechanism. So that the transfer of technology and resources to the less developed countries can start to work we need rules for the CDM. But it is also important for the Union that the agreement on all three of the Kyoto flexibility mechanisms – the CDM, International Emissions Trading and Joint Implementation – make equal progress under the agreement. The 50% ceiling proposed by the Union for the use of the mechanisms has attracted harsh criticism from other negotiating parties to the agreement, which means that this will be a very difficult issue in international talks.
Finally, I would like to say that the Commission’s communication on preparations for the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol is a lucid document and a good start, but it mainly contains measures for the initial stage. It will also be essential to draw up a longer-term programme."@en1
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