“An Energy Policy for Europe” - Inadequate
12 January 2007
Commenting on the above document from the European Commission to the European Parliament, Jim Allister MEP said:
“Once again the EU commission, creating energy policy, ignores the reality of the increase of CO2 emissions from the developing world.
The new proposed policy again focuses on the emissions from within the community. While it is true that emissions can be reduced by efficiency, technology and development of renewable energy, the history of the EU is draconian targets which, rather than creating incentives for managed reduction, simply makes business uncompetitive on the world stage and exports jobs.
The simple fact is that by 2030 coal fired power in India and China will add 3000 million extra tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere every year – 13 times the UK’s current total of CO2 from power generation! Over the same period emissions from China alone are forecast to grow by as much as those of the entire industrialised world.
The recently published House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report clearly states, ‘Fossil fuel consumption in countries such as China and India will have a profound and potentially catastrophic impact on global atmospheric CO2 levels eclipsing any reductions made by the UK and others.’
This being the case the EU while right to focus on stability of supply, must ensure that there is appropriate attention to maintaining business competitiveness. It must also seriously begin to deal with emissions in the developing world by adequate trade arrangements which will limit emissions in those areas.”
