EU should be stronger on comparable climate efforts

The Confederation of European Business comments on the EU Environment ministers' conclusions.

The BUSINESSEUROPE is convinced that the conclusions of the EU Environment Ministers' meeting on the global climate negotiations and the climate summit in Paris held on Friday 18th September in Brussels should have sent a stronger signal to the major carbon emitters than it has done.

"While EU Ministers' overall climate conclusions go in the right direction, a clear call for comparable efforts by major carbon emitting economies outside Europe is missing," the BUSINESSEUROPE Director
General Markus J. Beyrer pointed out.

"The COP (Conference of Parties) 21 summit in Paris must be a deal breaker for European business. We want an international ambition that is in line with the efforts we are already committed to in Europe. The end result should be an ambitious, comprehensive global agreement that ensures the rest of the world catches up with us. We need to establish a truly global level playing field for our industry," Beyrer continued.

BUSINESSEUROPE points out to the last week's warning of UN General Secretary for the Climate Framework Convention Christiana Figueres stressing that the governments' emission reduction pledges now on the table will not be enough. The goal of emission-reduction is to avoid a global temperature increase of more than 2 degrees Celsius.

"Encouraging other countries to follow on the EU ambition through comparable efforts would have sent a bold signal of leadership. This is the only way to fight global warming. We cannot solve the problem alone," Beyrer stressed. He also highlighted the Ministers' call for non-state actors' involvement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

"Private sector engagement has been a key priority for us in the run-up to Paris as we strongly believe industry worldwide can contribute with its experience and knowledge to a more inclusive system through a dedicated channel in the UN process," Beyrer added.

The COP21 conference will be held in the Paris suburb Le Bourget from November 30 to December 11 2015.

The Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic is a BUSINESSEUROPE's member since 1993.