EU leaders discuss climate
October 23, 2014
On Thursday, EU leaders kicked off a difficult round of negotiations in Brussels toward a new set of climate targets for 2030. The bloc sees itself under pressure to deliver a benchmark for international climate talks in Paris in 2015.
"The deliberations will not be easy and I cannot say yet if they will yield a result," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said as she arrived for the start of a two-day summit.
Most EU countries see the need to cut emissions to stem the effects of climate change. The EU negotiations aim to cut carbon emissions from homes, power plants, cars, planes, farms and other sources 40 percent by 2030.
"The objective is to agree this evening the world's most ambitious, yet cost-effective and fair, climate and energy policy framework," EU President Herman Van Rompuy said. "I'm hopeful that we will be able to reach this final deal tonight."
Sources said the talks could go on to Friday owing to the terse nature of the negotiations.
Moving away from Russian energy
The talks come at a time when the EU has considered reducing its reliance on Russian energy during the standoff in Ukraine.
Two major factors standing in the way of reducing pollution, however, are the worry that cutting emissions could mean a drop in industrial output and the reliance of the union's poorer countries on carbon dioxide-heavy energy supplies such as coal - a major source of CO2.
Poland's new prime minister, Ewa Kopacz, has warned that she will not accept any deal that could lead to "extra costs for our economy or higher energy prices for consumers." She declared herself "determined and focused" upon arrival in Brussels.
Some East and Central European countries are pushing for support measures to help them modernize their aging energy facilities. The leaders of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia were scheduled to hold talks before the summit.
"Everybody has to make sacrifices," Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas said. "The world is looking at Europe right now, expecting Europe to be the leader on the question of climate."
Van Rompuy, who will chair the EU summit, warned that climate change was one of the "biggest challenges of mankind," adding that it was a "question of survival."
"The stakes are high," said French President Francois Hollande (pictured). "If there is no agreement in Brussels on climate ... how do you go and convince the Chinese or the Americans or poorer countries that question their ability to respect certain commitments?"
sb/mkg (dpa, Reuters, AFP)