European Climate Change Programme

The European Climate Change Programme (ECCP) was launched in June 2000 by the European Union's European Commission, with the purpose of avoiding dangerous climate change.

The goal of the ECCP is to identify, develop and implement all the necessary elements of an EU strategy to implement the Kyoto Protocol. All EU countries' ratifications of the Kyoto Protocol were deposited simultaneously on 31 May 2002.

The European Union Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is perhaps the most significant contribution of the ECCP, and the EU ETS is the largest greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme in the world.

In 1996 the EU adopted a target of a maximum 2°C rise in global mean temperature, compared to pre-industrial levels. Since then, European Leaders have reaffirmed this goal several times.[1][2][3] Due to only minor efforts in global Climate change mitigation it is highly likely that the world will not be able to reach this particular target. The EU might then be forced to accept a less ambitious target or to change its climate policy paradigm.[4]

Vehicles

Further information: Transport in the European Union

Under the framework of the European Climate Change Programme, the European Commission was to present in mid-as of 2006 a Communication to the European Parliament and European Council on a revised Community strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles. This review will be based on a thorough impact assessment of the existing Community target of a new car fleet average emission of 120 CO2 g/km and of the possible measures that could form part of a revised strategy based on an integrated approach to CO2 emissions reductions.

On 7 February 2007, the European Commission announced plans for new legislation requiring the average carbon dioxide emissions of the vehicles produced in 2012 to be no more than 130 g/km. This is a bit more than the goal of 120, which corresponds to 4.5 L/100 km for diesel and 5 L/100 km for gasoline engines.[5]

In March 2011, the European Commission presented the EU Transport Roadmap, which shows pathways to achieve a 60% cut in greenhouse gases from all modes of transport by 2050.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Winning the Battle Against Global Climate Change" (Press release). European Union. 9 February 2005. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  2. ↑ R.S.J. Tol (2007), Europe's long-term climate target: A critical evaluation, Energy Policy, 35 (1), 424–432
  3. ↑ Oliver Geden (2013), Modifying the 2°C Target. Climate Policy Objectives in the Contested Terrain of Scientific Policy Advice, Political Preferences, and Rising Emissions, SWP Research Paper 5
  4. ↑ Oliver Geden (2012), The End of Climate Policy as We Knew it, SWP Research Paper 2012/RP01
  5. ↑ http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/155&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en#fnB2
  6. ↑ http://ec.europa.eu/news/transport/110328_en.htm

External links