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The European Commission should immediately bring forward
proposals for 'carbon tariffs' on goods imported from
countries such as China or India that are failing to take
strong action on climate change, according to a new analysis.
The analysis - by Joseph Curtin, climate and energy specialist
with the Dublin-based Institute for International and European
Affairs (IIEA)
- looks at how the EU should respond to the outcome of the
UN climate change summit in Copenhagen.
The extent to which the EU was marginalised in its final
hours had been shown by the fact that European Commission
president, José Manuel Barroso, had found out about the deal
done by the US, China and others 'by way of a text message
on his phone'.
Although the Copenhagen accord fell far short of the EU’s
ambitions, Mr Curtin says it “remains unspecific enough for
the EU to promote its agenda” in negotiations leading to the
UN’s 16th climate change conference in Mexico City next December.
'In order for this to happen, decisive action will be
required' - the IIEA analysis says. 'The EU will need
to think strategically and tactically, with a cognisance of
the realities in which it is operating' - specifically,
the emergence of a 'new world order' led by the US
and China.
'Although the EU’s power in this new world order will
be diminished, it still has many instruments at its disposal'
- it says, adding that these should include proposals for
carbon tariffs of up to 9 per cent on imports, as favoured
by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The analysis argues that this would be compatible with the
World Trade Organisation’s rules.
It also calls on the EU to present a more coherent front
at climate negotiations, noting that the new European climate
action commissioner - former Danish minister Connie Hedegaard
- had said others, such as the US and China, “each spoke with
one voice”.
The IIEA analysis suggests that it would be unwise for the
EU to go beyond its pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions
by 20 per cent by 2020.
The first lesson from Copenhagen is that putting all your
cards on the table to offer ‘leadership’ can lead to
unintended outcomes.
In Brussels last week, the EU decided to stick to its lower
offer of a 20 per cent cut in emissions, while maintaining
its pledge to do more if others follow suit. Under the Copenhagen
accord, all such pledges by developed and developing countries
were due to be filed by January 31st.
Source - The Irish Times
To download the IIEA analysis - Click
Here
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