Bloomberg, 15 March 2016
Ewa Krukowska and Marek Strzelecki
Poland adopted a resolution against stepping up European Union climate ambitions, hardening its opposition to stricter emission policies before negotiations about how the bloc’s 28 member states should share the burden of cutting pollution in the next decade.
The Law and Justice government, which took power after general elections in October, said current EU greenhouse-gas reduction goals already require “huge investment effort” from Poland to modernize its energy sector. Europe has a binding target of lowering emissions by 20 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels. National leaders in the European Council agreed in October 2014 to a 40 percent cut by 2030, an aim that yet needs to be translated into detailed legislation.
The resolution by Poland, which relies on coal for more than 80 percent of its electricity production, comes after EU nations including Germany and Luxembourg called earlier this month for more ambition following a global climate deal in Paris in December. The European Commission, the EU’s regulatory arm, stopped short of recommending an immediate move to stricter targets for 2030, saying instead that member states should now focus on enacting measures to reach existing goals.
“Some member states are bringing forward proposal on the EU forum to toughen European climate policy goals and deepen the greenhouse-gas reduction levels,” the Polish government said in a statement. “The government strongly advocates that the EU concentrate on implementing climate commitments already approved by the European Council.”
Ewa Krukowska and Marek Strzelecki
Poland adopted a resolution against stepping up European Union climate ambitions, hardening its opposition to stricter emission policies before negotiations about how the bloc’s 28 member states should share the burden of cutting pollution in the next decade.
The Law and Justice government, which took power after general elections in October, said current EU greenhouse-gas reduction goals already require “huge investment effort” from Poland to modernize its energy sector. Europe has a binding target of lowering emissions by 20 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels. National leaders in the European Council agreed in October 2014 to a 40 percent cut by 2030, an aim that yet needs to be translated into detailed legislation.
The resolution by Poland, which relies on coal for more than 80 percent of its electricity production, comes after EU nations including Germany and Luxembourg called earlier this month for more ambition following a global climate deal in Paris in December. The European Commission, the EU’s regulatory arm, stopped short of recommending an immediate move to stricter targets for 2030, saying instead that member states should now focus on enacting measures to reach existing goals.
“Some member states are bringing forward proposal on the EU forum to toughen European climate policy goals and deepen the greenhouse-gas reduction levels,” the Polish government said in a statement. “The government strongly advocates that the EU concentrate on implementing climate commitments already approved by the European Council.”
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