European Union defines its role for the Environment
"The message from science is clear: climate change is happening"
On climate change, Stavros Dimas the European Commissioner for the Environment said "the message from science is clear: climate change is happening". He cited the warm winter being experienced by Europe as one indicator. He told MEPs that now was the time to put Europe on to a "more secure low carbon future".
Mr Dimas said the Commission's January Communication on Climate Change would achieve the EU's objective of limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. He also said it would allow international negotiations to move
On behalf of the EU Presidency, German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel raised the issue of how to improve the lives of the 2 billion people in the world who do not have access to electricity whilst protecting the climate. He said that high technology areas like Europe would have to take the lead.
"What is the role of Europe?"
Peter Liese of the German European People's Party said that "energy and access to energy and protection of the climate are the two main challenges that mankind faces in the 21st century" while Italian Socialist Guido Sacconi said the EU must be "coherent on legislation, emmissions trading, aviation, reduction of CO2 for automobiles and all the other things we are considering".
Concluding the debate Mr Gabriel posed a rhetorical question to MEPs: "what is the role of Europe if China is the workbench of the world, India the service provider, Russian the petrol pump and Brazil the farmer?" The answer: Europeans have to be the technicians and engineers