Olli Rehn EU Commissioner for Enlargement Meeting in the Plenary Session of the EP Strasbourg, 20 th January 2010

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SPEECH/ 10/9

Olli Rehn

EU Commissioner for Enlargement

Comments to the outcome of the Copenhagen Conference of Climate change

Figures and graphics available in PDF and WORD PROCESSED

Meeting in the Plenary Session of the EP

Strasbourg, 20 th January 2010

President, Honourable Members,

Let me thank you, on behalf of the Commission and my colleague Stavros Dimas whom I volunteered to substitute in this debate, for the chance to discuss the outcome of the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change and the follow-up to the Copenhagen Accord.
Stavros Dimas asked me to say sorry on his behalf, as he cannot be here himself because he is sick, which is particularly regrettable as this would have been probably his last plenary appearance.
I want to express our appreciation for the active and supportive role the EP played before the Conference and at the Conference itself. The contacts with your delegation throughout the Conference proved most useful. In particular, you have played a crucial role in order to enhance our outreach with key players in other countries.
I believe we share the view that the result of Copenhagen falls badly short of our goal of an ambitious and legally binding agreement, which would be necessary to limit climate change to below 2°C.
This is extremely disappointing for all of us who have fought – for years and years – for concrete decisions to reverse climate change.
The reasons for the failure were many, and I'll come back to them in a moment. Still, one may also conclude that the Accord is better than no outcome at all, which would have been the worst case scenario.
On the one hand, to find something positive :
The Copenhagen Accord at least recognises the need to limit climate change to below 2°C.
It also invites the developed countries to list economy-wide emission reduction targets by 31st January 2010 and calls for the developing countries to list mitigation actions by the same date.
Furthermore, the Accord sets the basis for a substantial finance package of 30 billion US dollars for the coming three years, and recognises the need for 100 billion US dollars annually by 2020.
On the other hand, the Accord has serious weaknesses :
It contains no reference to mid-term or long-term mitigation targets.
The reduction pledges announced so far are not sufficient to stay within the two degrees target, and there is little cause for optimism that we will see improved offers by 31st January – rather the opposite.
Last, but certainly not least, the Accord is not legally binding. Perhaps even more worrying, it does not provide for the conclusion of a legally binding agreement this year, which was one of our key goals.
Looking ahead, the next step will be to ensure that this Accord at least will become operational, and will pave the way for a new climate treaty, which must urgently be agreed on in the course of this year.
As a very first step, it will be crucial to ensure that all key Parties endorse the Accord and notify their targets or actions by 31st January.
Adequate financing must also be provided. In this respect, we need to explore ways of setting up a Copenhagen Green Climate Fund.
We must also strengthen alliances with countries who share our vision of a successful outcome of the international climate negotiations.

President, Honourable Members,

To conclude, we have huge challenges before us: ensure unity at the EU level, to engage strategically with key external partners, to maintain our full commitment to multilateral climate action.
While there are many lessons to be learnt from COP15, one lesson is certainly that we must speak with one voice. In Copenhagen, China, India, the United States and other major powers each spoke with one voice, while Europe spoke with many – and many different – voices.
The same goes for global economic governance and international security. We are at a crossroads today. Either we take determined and united action for Europe's ecological, economic and political revival – or we risk economic stagnation and political irrelevance.
Let's take Copenhagen as an alarming warning o
European EC Rapid Press Release SPEECH/10/9, copyright European Commission.
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