Europe is not displaying sufficient leadership ahead of the Bali conference
on climate change, according to Mary Robinson, the former United Nations
Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR).
In March this year, the European Union’s governments committed themselves to
reducing the bloc’s greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent below 1990 levels by
2020. A cut of 30 percent was promised if other industrialised countries agree
to similar targets.
Robinson, who was also Ireland’s first female president, said she is
disappointed that the EU is making part of its reduction targets conditional on
the behaviour of countries in the wider world.
"We still don’t have the political leadership we need," she told IPS. During
recent discussions, EU finance ministers have rejected proposals for revising
taxation on cars to take account of their emissions of carbon dioxide – the main
gas triggering climate change. "A willingness to agree a carbon tax would have
hugely beneficial consequences," said Robinson. "That’s part of leadership."
Still, she welcomed a statement earlier this month by José Manuel Barroso, the
European Commission president, that a failure by rich countries to reduce their
emissions would hinder the fight against world poverty and hunger. Scientists
estimate that 75-200 million Africans will have their supply of water threatened
by climate change within the next decade.
"It (climate change) very much is a development issue because there is a
complete nexus between energy and poverty," Robinson added. "There are 1.6
billion people who have no access to electricity. Unless we change our habits
and get real political leadership, the expert projections are that in 2030,
there will still be 1.4 billion people with no access to electricity. "If we see
climate change only as an environmental challenge, we will approach adaptation
in terms of sea-walls (to address rising sea levels) and seeds that don’t need
as much water. Climate change is a political and social and human rights
challenge."
Robinson took part in a Nov. 23 conference in Brussels. It examined the issues
facing the 180 countries that will be represented when talks on framing a
successor to the Kyoto agreement on climate change kick off in Bali, Indonesia
next month.
Oxfam spokesman Alexander Woollcombe said that the poor "who have done the least
to cause the situation we are in are suffering the most and are suffering now.
"This is a point that is well-known and well-accepted. But it is not being
addressed."
He cited estimates that 50 billion dollars per year are needed to help poor
countries adapt to climate change. But just 148 million dollars is now being
given in aid for that purpose, he added, underscoring that assistance earmarked
for dealing with climate change must not be at the expense of funds for
combating poverty.
Margot Wallström, the European Commission’s vice-president, defended the EU’s
decision to make its reduction targets partly conditional on efforts undertaken
elsewhere. "It would be more difficult to get business on board, if they have a
10 percent higher target than the rest of the world," she told IPS, arguing that
firms would regard such a goal as "distorting competition". Wallström
nonetheless acknowledged that she was unhappy with how EU governments have
baulked at introducing a carbon tax on vehicles.
"Economic incentives would be the most forceful ones," she said. "I hope that
public opinion will lead to pressure being put on decision-makers and that we
will see moves in the right direction."
Wolfgang Gregor from light bulb-makers Osram said that up to 40 percent of
energy from lighting could be saved. The resulting cut in carbon emissions would
be equivalent to those released by Canada and two-thirds of Russia. Describing
low-energy bulbs as a "new sexy business", he stated that the 1.6 billion people
without electricity use 77 billion litres of kerosene per year, resulting in 190
million tonnes of carbon emissions.
"The level of trust in business is not as high as we would like it to be," said
Andrew Fisk from Procter and Gamble, the washing powder firm. It has been
necessary for his company, he added, to have external studies conducted to
convince consumers of the benefit of washing clothes at 30 degrees Celsius, the
lowest level on many washing machines.
Toyota’s Graham Smith said there could be 1.2 billion cars in the world by 2020,
a rise of 71 percent from today’s levels. "It is obvious that for mobility to be
sustainable, we must all focus on reducing vehicle emissions," he added.
Teresa Fogelberg from the Global Reporting Initiative, which has developed a
system for calculating the environmental impact of businesses, said a number of
measures have been taken voluntarily by companies to inform consumers about
their greenhouse gas emissions. Air France and the Dutch carrier KLM have put
details on carbon dioxide on their passenger tickets, for example. Ultimately,
though, ‘sustainability reporting’ may have to be mandatory, she added. The lack
of compulsory measures means that firms that have not improved their
environmental performance "can hide behind a smokescreen", she said, adding that
"there would be a more level playing-field if companies that are more hesitant
are pulled on board".