Mr. President,
On behalf of the European Union, I would like to thank you for initiating today’s discussion and contributing to a positive momentum towards Copenhagen. Very much is at stake. The climate is changing faster than expected and the risks this poses can already be seen. The political and diplomatic effort is intense and needs to be reinforced further.
We are committed to a global, ambitious and comprehensive agreement in Copenhagen, which provides for immediate action and that keeps global warming below 2 degrees.. It should set out our shared vision including global emission reductions of at least 50%, aggregate developed country emission reductions of at least 80-95% as well as actions by developing countries which should result in a substantial deviation from baseline in the order of 15-30 % by 2050 compared to 1990 levels.
At the same time it should be detailed and include among other things commitments for mid-term emission reductions by developed countries and nationally appropriate mitigation actions by developing countries. A substantive and internationally legally binding agreement must be the outcome of our work. It should build on the Kyoto protocol and incorporate all its essentials.
Science is clear. Global emissions must peak no later than 2020. All countries should take immediate action. The EU is committed to taking a decision to move to a 30 % reduction by 2020 compared to 1990 levels, provided that other developed countries commit themselves to comparable emission reductions and that developing countries contribute adequately according to their responsibilities and respective capabilities.
And the EU recognises that a deal on financing will be a central part of an agreement in Copenhagen. It should be clear that EU supports a significant scaling up of both public and private financial flows to developing countries for adaptation, mitigation, REDD, technology and capacity-building.
Crucially, European Member States have been the first set of developed countries to put forward a figure on international public finance that we could work towards – of the scale of €22-50bn by 2020. And while we are still considering our position on proposals for new global climate funds from the G77 and others, we have already acknowledged that there is a need for a high-level forum or body under the guidance of the UNFCCC to provide an overview of international sources for climate change financing in developing countries.
In Copenhagen, an agreement on fast-start international public support is important to avoid delay of ambitious action, with a special emphasis on least developed countries. The EU also recalls the proposal to create a Framework for Action on Adaptation as part of a Copenhagen agreement.
Incentives should be created to engage the private sector. Research and development must be substantially scaled up, global technology objectives established and safe and sustainable technologies diffused. Private financing will be stimulated by developing a broad and liquid carbon market based on robust cap-and-trade systems in developed countries, a reformed Clean Development Mechanism and sectoral crediting and trading mechanisms for action in developing countries.
We are encouraged by recent announcements from several countries to step up action and shift their economies onto low-emissions paths. These decisions are promising. They should also inspire others to dare more and to see the opportunities that a low-carbon future holds. Copenhagen offers a unique occasion to seal a deal for prosperity in the 21st century.
As much as we devote ourselves to finding solutions to the substantive issues, we also need to make practical preparations. We would like to know more about the flow of events in Copenhagen. In particular how the Secretariat and the hosts intend to schedule the time of ministers during the second week and what they could tell us about the programme of the Summit meeting. If the UN could provide us in writing with practical details of who is who and what is where, we would be very grateful.