Sommaire: 9 July 2008, Hokkaido, Japan - Speaking after the Meeting of the Major Economies (MEM) on climate change in Toyako on 9 July, Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, declared:
"We leave Toyako in good spirits, although there is a lot of work ahead of us. The G8 made significant progress in agreeing to at least 50% emission reductions by 2050 yesterday, and we have had a useful and wholly constructive exchange of views today in the Major Economies Meeting. We have to get real. It is quite wrong to see this in terms of a confrontation between developed and developing countries. Of course we accept the lion's share of responsibility but this is a global challenge,
which requires a global response."
President Barroso urged the MEM "to recognise that there is no contradiction between economic growth and reducing emissions. In the EU since 1990, the economy has grown by 25% and we have cut emissions by 8%. The science is there, the economic rationale is there, and public opinion demands action. What is missing is leadership, and the leadership is around this table. We must press ahead at all speed for Copenhagen."
Background: To limit temperature increase to 2 degrees C, a combination of long term and mid-term targets are needed. In terms of long term targets, the G8 has agreed that we should reduce global emissions by at least 50% compared to 1990. This implies reduction in developed countries by 60-80%. For mid term targets, the EU is proposing that developed countries as a group reduce their emissions by around 30% over 1990 levels, in the context of an international agreement. We are asking
for a significant contribution from emerging economies - to set out national plans on how they will tackle climate change with a view to substantially deviating from "business as usual". India's recently announced plan on energy efficiency is very welcome in this context. Technology has made enormous strides in recent years - we know how to develop low-carbon technologies in power and manufacturing sectors, how to insulate houses, how to manage our transport systems more efficiently. Both
developing and developed economies will find important economic benefits in pursuing such policies, which in turn stimulate economic growth, increase our energy security, and help our citizens by helping to counteract the rise of energy prices. Global emissions must peak no later than within 10-15 years.
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