The EU Commission backs down

The EU Commission fails developing countries in climate negotiations

Today the EU Commission presented a proposal on the EU position for the upcoming climate negotiations in Copenhagen. This proposal would mean considerably less economic support for developing countries than the level shown to be essential by a recent UN report.

– The Swedish presidency must resolve the critical issue of funding the transfer of technology and adaptation measures to the developing countries, otherwise the chances of a successful Copenhagen agreement decrease dramatically, claims Svante Axelsson, Secretary General of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.

The EU Commission communication today forms the basis for discussions on how the EU should contribute to funding climate adaptation and emissions reductions in developing countries. This is one of the most crucial issues in the international climate negotiations to be held in Copenhagen this December.

According to the Climate Convention, the developed countries have a responsibility to pay the extra costs brought about by climate adaptation and emission reductions in developing countries. The Secretary-General of the UN recently pointed out that ambitious enough funding pledges by the EU and other developed countries are critical to achieving success in Copenhagen.

A Marshall plan for climate change

On 1 September, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
(UNDESA) presented a report which states that 500 billion dollars per year in public funding are needed as a Marshall plan for tackling climate change in developing countries. The EU’s estimate of the total requirement is only 100 billion euros. Only 22-50 billion of these should be funded by public money, according to the EU proposal.

– It is very provocative for the developing countries that the EU is not prepared to agree to funding measures for these countries to a greater degree. This will increase the lack of trust between developing and developed countries and would make it hard for the world to avoid rampant climate change, says Niclas Hällström, climate expert at the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.

The issue of financing concerns funding of extensive societal transformations that would lead to more climate-smart development in developing countries while allowing the world’s poor to emerge from poverty. It also involves funding measures that enable developing countries to adapt to increased drought and other consequences of a warming climate. The world has been waiting for two years for the EU to clarify how it is going to help fund the new ”Marshall plan for the climate” that the world needs to launch in Copenhagen. The European Commission communication meets few of the expectations.

– It is positive that the EU finally, after a long silence, is coming up with concrete figures, says Svante Axelsson.

The developing countries are expected from the EU to pay themselves

However, these figures are far from adequate. The estimates of costs are far too low, but the most astonishing is that the developing countries are expected to pay a large share of the bill themselves and that carbon trading is seen as a way to generate finances to the developing world – while it is really a way for the rich countries to achieve their reduction targets somewhere else. The EU’s pledge of public financing is extremely low – only 2–15 billion Euro.

The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and other environmental organisations worldwide emphasise that the EU and other industrialised countries must take responsibility for their historical emissions and their continuing high per capita emissions. Although some of the developing countries are currently increasing their emissions, the industrialised countries have emitted 80 per cent of the greenhouse gases that are now causing climate change – and continue to make disproportionately large demands on the very limited climate space that remains. Since the developing countries are facing a double challenge – emerging from poverty while also tackling the climate crisis – the industrialised countries must shoulder their responsibilities.

A successful Copenhagen agreement in jeopardy

However, the position taken by the EU Commission does not meet this challenge. On the contrary, parts of the aid budget is also supposed to cover climate funding. This goes directly against the principle that climate measures must not be taken at the expense of development assistance to the poorest, who have contributed the least to the climate crisis.

– If the EU, with Sweden as a leader, does not as soon as possible reach out to the developing countries to communicate that the EU has considerably higher ambitions, the chances of a successful Copenhagen agreement is likely to erode in a very alarming way, Svante Axelsson concludes.

Link to the UN report on a Marshall plan for climate:

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=31910&Cr=develop&Cr1=climate+change

For information, contact:

Svante Axelsson, Secretary General +46-70-728 25 85
svante.axelsson@naturskyddsforeningen.se

Emma Lindberg, Climate expert +46-70-563 54 11
emma.lindberg@naturskyddsforeningen.se

Niclas Hällström, Climate expert +46-70-382 69 98
niclas.hallstrom@naturskyddsforeningen.se