EU climate deal

Saturday, March 10, 2007
From ABC Television (Aust)

Environmentalists and Europe's wind energy lobby have given a cautious welcome to plans by European Union (EU) leaders to step up action against global warming and accelerate the use of clean energy.

In a two-day summit in Brussels, the 27-nation bloc committed itself to reducing its levels of the principal greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2), by 20 per cent by 2020 compared with 1990 levels.

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair says Europe is showing the way to the rest of the world with such bold and ambitious targets.

"It gives Europe a very clear leadership position on this crucial issue facing the world, and it gives us I think the best chance of trying to make sure that when we get to the G8 countries, the G8 countries + 5 process - which is the one we set up at Gleneagles - then we manage to get involved America, China and India as well the European Union in tackling climate change," he said.

The EU would deepen this cut to 30 per cent if "international partners" in global warming negotiations did likewise, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency.

Member states will also be required to make renewable energies such as solar and wind power account for at least 20 per cent of the total energy consumption across the EU by 2020.

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