EU%20climate%20change%20policies:%20mitigation%20and%20adaptation.%20Where%20to%20draw%20the%20subsidiarity%20line%20in%20climate%20change%20and%20sustainable%20energy%20policies?

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EU climate change policies mitigation and
adaptation. Where to draw the subsidiarity line
in climate change and sustainable energy
policies?
Save energy, save money, save the climate local
and regional actions CEMR seminar on climate
change in the context of the EU Sustainable
Energy Week 31 January 2007
Matti Vainio European Commission DG Environment
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Key Objectives Climate Change and Energy Package

• Meeting the 2C objective
• In international negotiations GHG reduction
  target of 30 by 2020 for developed countries
  (vs. 1990).
• A firm, independent commitment to achieve at
  least 20 GHG reduction by 2020 for EU-27 (vs.
  1990)
• Perspective of Kyoto Protocol
• 2012 -8 (EU-15)
• Today -5 (EU-27) -1 (EU-15)

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An Energy Policy for Europe

• Energy efficiency (eg. cars, appliances,
  buildings)
• to be improved by 20 by 2020
• Renewable energy 20 mandatory objective by 2020
• differentiation of targets necessary between
  Member States
• flexibility in target setting within a country
  between sectors
• includes minimum biofuels target of 10 by 2020
• Sustainable power generation from fossil fuels
  aiming at near-zero emissions of new plants by
  2020
• New steps to reach internal market - options for
  unbundling and regulatory powers
• important for functioning EU ETS
• decrease hurdles for renewables
• Nuclear Member States choice
• Towards a European strategic energy technology
  plan

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Global Participation

• The 2?C objective
• Global GHG emissions need to peak around 2020
• EU Developed countries
• 30 GHG emission reduction target by 2020,
  compared to 1990 levels
• Developing countries
• Reduced growth asap, absolute reductions after
  2020
• Deforestation halt within two decades and then
  reverse

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Global carbon market

• Firm independent target long term signal for
  investors in ETS
• Review EU ETS
• Link it to compatible systems

• Global emissions peak around 2020 global
  carbon market decreases investment costs with
  a factor 3.
• Proposals to increase market signals in
  developing countries
• Improve and widen CDM
• Improved access to financing (EBRD, GEEREF
  etc.)

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Benefits and Costs

• Winning the Battle Stern Review benefits of
  limiting Climate Change outweigh costs of action
• Costs of inaction 5-20 of global GDP (Stern
  Review)
• Costs of action for the EU (2030)
• -30 target with global participation -0,19
  annualised GDP
• -20 independent target -0,02 to -0,09
  annualised GDP
• Does not include co-benefits
• Increased energy security
• Improved competitiveness through innovation
• Health benefits from reduced air pollution
• Limits on climate change

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Do we need to draw lines

• Where to draw the subsidiarity line in climate
  change and sustainable energy policies?
• Can you draw a line between national, regional
  and local policies?

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Importance of EU level action

• Internal market
• Cross-border issues, eg transboundary air
  pollution, greenhouse gases
• Make a difference at global level
• establish leadership in climate change (eg carbon
  market)
• speaking with one voice

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Importance of regional and local action making
reduction concrete

• Emission reduction
• Infrastructure
• Transport
• Public procurement
• Adaptation
• Infrastructure
• Regional and local spatial planning
• Building standards

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Importance of local action

• Energy efficiency
• engaging the broad public
• building codes and practices, enforcement
• Public procurement (building standards)
• Infrastructure (heat networks/district heating)
• Sustainable transport local level crucial
• urban planning
• transport planning promoting and organising
  public transport
• public procurement (transport fleet, fuels)
• congestion charging (eg London) parking fees

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Importance of local action

• Renewable energy
• Building standards
• Local, decentralised in nature
• Also a number of benefits are local employment,
  new businesses, air quality
• Local level important for planning purposes and
  engaging/convincing the public
• Awareness raising close to the citizen

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Conclusions

• Climate change is happening
• Need to adapt
• We need to act at all levels
• Complementarity of action, EU, National,
  Regional, Local levels
• Co-benefits of action
• Reduce CO2 emissions
• Reduce air pollution
• Save money
• Make local communities better places to live

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More information

• Climate change http//ec.europa.eu/environment/cl
  imat/future_action.htm
• Energy http//ec.europa.eu/energy/energy_policy/
  index_en.htm