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CLIMATE CHANGE: Europe Feels the U.S. Sneeze
By Matthew Berger
LONDON, Jun 30 (IPS) - Governments and interest groups around the world followed the U.S. House of
Representatives' vote Friday on the first U.S. policy to limit the country's
greenhouse gas emissions. They were especially interested in Europe, where a
system similar to the bill's cap-and-trade scheme already exists and where EU
countries agreed last December to tough emissions targets.
The reaction among European groups has been as mixed as it has been
among their U.S. counterparts, with the notable difference that those
opposing the passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, or the
Waxman-Markey bill, largely feel it does not go far enough.
Most of the 212 U.S. representatives that voted against it, on the other hand,
felt it imposed excessive restrictions and costs.
"We are disappointed. The U.S. has a responsibility when it comes to climate
change," Sonja Meister, climate change coordinator for Friends of the Earth
Europe told IPS Friday. Developed nations need to reduce emissions by at
least 40 percent by 2020, she said, referring to the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change's recommendation for the most ambitious government
action.
The U.S. bill calls for a reduction in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions of 17
percent by 2020, compared to 2005 levels. The EU's '20-20-20' targets call
for a 20 percent reduction over the same time, compared with 1990 levels.
The position taken by many in Europe is that anything is better than nothing,
however. EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso was quoted by the
Associated Press Friday as saying, "We want the U.S. to go as far and as fast as
they can on climate change. We want Waxman-Markey to succeed."
On Monday, Lena de Visscher, the Commission's spokesperson for the
environment office, told IPS, "We welcome the approval of the Waxman-
Markey bill by the House. This is an important signal of Congress's desire for
the U.S. to re-engage in the global debate on climate change."
The French daily Le Monde led its Sunday-Monday edition with the headline
'Climate: Barack Obama launches his green revolution', largely focusing on
the change in policy since last year when, it says, "a law aiming to fight
climate change would have been unthinkable."
This rejoicing that legislation addressing climate issues is on the table now
after eight years of silence under the Bush Administration is not universal,
however.
Leaders in Europe were following the Waxman-Markey bill very closely, said
Martin Kaiser of Greenpeace International last week from Amsterdam. They
are pleased legislation is on its way after nothing happening under former
president George W. Bush, but are uncomfortable with the level of emissions
targets at the moment, he said.
The cap-and-trade aspects of the bill have also been criticised in European
environmental circles, where they have seen first-hand the successes and
failures of their own Emissions Trading System (ETS).
The E.U.'s system, agreed in 2005, distributed a set amount of allowances to
industry, mainly in the energy sector. These were distributed for free initially,
though the goal was to sell the carbon permits in auction by 2013. Many
concessions, including the partial delay of this auctioning, were wrangled by
industry as the EU tried to strengthen the ETS in order to bring it in line with
the 20-20-20 targets last winter, and the story of U.S. legislation looks very
similar.
Concessions to industry and opposition in the House led to the Waxman-
Markey bill's original hopes being set aside in the name of simply getting
something passed. Among the concessions included in the final draft, the bill
would initially distribute 85 percent of allowances for free.
According to Meister, cap-and-trade programmes could work well, but only
when they have 100 percent auctioning for all sectors, no offsetting, and
earmarking of revenue to help the countries and industries that need the
most help in adapting.
"Governments tend to over-rely on market-based solutions," she said.
"Because of our experience in the EU, I'm skeptical that this could work,
particularly because of the pressure that will come from industry and the
loopholes that will develop over time as businesses adapt to the new
restrictions."
But the most interesting aspect for Europeans may be not the efficacy of the
legislation in the U.S. but the way it affects international climate change
discussions, as will take place at the G8 talks in Italy Jul. 8 to 10.
De Visscher, speaking for the European Commission, said the bill shows the
U.S. is "ready for a climate change deal in Copenhagen at the end of this
year."
There seems to be one consensus - U.S. domestic legislation has an
international effect which can raise or lower the bar for everyone else.
"It is really hard to push the EU to enact stronger targets if everyone else is
much weaker," says Meister. "The EU says, 'Look, we have the strongest
emissions targets.' But even those targets aren't in line with the science."
The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate, where it is expected to face even more
scrutiny and criticism than it did in the House. The debate will surely
continue in Europe, as well. (END/2009)
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