Green party

 

GREEN MEP WARNS DURBAN AGREEMENT FALLS SHORT OF STEMMING CLIMATE CHANGE          

 The UN climate conference in Durban ended this morning, with an agreement on a process for concluding a new international legal agreement by 2015 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be implemented by 2020. 

 

 Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London, has welcomed the outcome and the constructive role played by the EU throughout the summit, but has warned that the accord falls short of what is necessary to prevent the global threats posed by climate change.

 Commenting on the outcome, Jean said: "While today's outcome has opened a door to a more effective international response to climate change, delaying comprehensive action until after 2020 is clearly insufficient, given the urgent measures scientists say are necessary to avoid climate change.

 "The EU has shown leadership in these negotiations, proactively building alliances within the UNFCCC, but its strategy of pegging the ambition of its own climate action to that of the rest of the world has ultimately fallen short.  The Kyoto Protocol remains in limbo and there is no guarantee of any further globally concerted climate action before 2020.

 "What has become clear at this summit is that it is simply not enough to rely on the UN process; we must also find other ways to spur action to respond to the growing emergency of the climate challenge.  The EU has talked a lot about the gap between pledged climate action and what is necessary to avoid climate change.  It must back these words with action and move to at least the 30 per cent envisaged greenhouse gas reduction target for 2020."

 

Notes to Editor

 Jean Lambert is one of eight MEPs representing London and one of two UK Green representatives in the European Parliament. Jean was first elected Green Party Member of the European Parliament for London in the 1999 European elections and was re-elected in 2004 and 2009.