EU hints at policy shift on climate change talks

Brussels has signalled that it is set to water down EU demands compelling developing countries to comply with strict climate change rules.

EU environment chief Stavros Dimas hinted at a shift in EU climate change policy during a speech in London on Monday ahead of global climate change talks in Montreal next week.

“The EU will adopt a constructive approach to the post-2012 debate,” said Dimas.

“In Montreal, we wish to start a process that leads to formal negotiations on future international cooperation on climate change, but we are not jumping to any pre-conceived ideas on how this cooperation should look.”

EU policymakers are concerned that opposition to the Kyoto protocol’s requirements and to mandatory emissions reduction targets, from developing countries such as India, China and Brazil, may scupper the Canadian talks.

Dimas speech made no mention of locking in the rapidly industrialising countries to mandatory targets.

And the Greek commissioner said that future international climate cooperation must be based on broad participation that includes the developing world and the US.

Dimas raised the possibility of a twin-tier global climate change agreement by emphasising that the EU did “not think that developing countries, even those with booming economies, should or indeed could take on the same commitments as industrialised countries.”

“But we could design a system with different types of participation, under which developing countries would take on commitments that were in line with their level of economic development.”

Dimas’ comments echoed those of UK environment minister, Margaret Beckett, who will lead the EU negotiating team at the COP 11 climate change talks in Montreal.

Beckett suggested that developing countries could opt for a regime of voluntary emissions reduction targets.

Dimas also called for increased funding to develop new technologies to fight climate change. 

The EU has in the past been reluctant to publicly promote the value of new technologies in combating climate change. 

On the one hand, the EU’s emissions trading scheme is presented as an incentive to develop new ‘clean technology’, while on the other, the US has used the application and development of new technology as its excuse not to sigh up to the Kyoto protocol.

Dimas said the development of new technologies “will be indispensable to master the shift to a low-carbon society.”

The commissioner also warned not to expect too much from the Montreal talks.

“Montreal will not produce the final solution to climate change – but it might be a crucial stepping stone towards reaching a global consensus. This is why we have to explore what common ground countries share.”

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