UN climate change report shows Europe needs a Climate Act

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has published a report that once again reminds political leaders we face a grim future of floods, drought, conflict and economic damage if they fail to combat climate change. Environmental lawyers ClientEarth say this report makes clear Europe must commit to a scientifically credible emission reduction target. It must also implement credible governance to ensure it is achieved.

Sharon Turner, head of ClientEarth’s Climate and Energy Programme, said: “The time for European hand-wringing is over. Faced with this science, it is imperative that European leaders face the serious weaknesses in existing EU climate and energy laws. It is unacceptable to carry on with a highly fragmented and routinely ignored legal framework.

"It is unacceptable to rely so heavily on the still unproven Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) as the EU’s primary tool to address climate change. If Europe is to make a fair contribution to combating global climate change, the ETS must be complemented by a Climate Act for Europe."

ClientEarth says a well designed Climate Act for Europe would give:

(1) Europe a stable, predictable and integrated framework for planning and reviewing progress towards meeting the EU’s climate and energy objectives;

(2) member states a fair allocation of responsibility for emissions reduction, flexibility to choose the national energy mix but better co-ordination of effort between countries;

(3) investors the certainty they need to invest in new low carbon technologies and infrastructure, and;

(4) citizens the means to be confident that political leaders were taking effective action to combat climate change and would be held to account for failure.    

ClientEarth will shortly publish proposals for a new Climate Act for comment.

More information

Press release 23 January 2014
Press release 20 March 2014

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