8 Implementation of Community obligations
under the Kyoto Protocol
| (27997)
14918/06
COM(06) 658
+ ADD 1
| Commission Report on progress towards achieving the Kyoto objectives
|
| Legal base | — |
| Documents originated | 27 October 2006
|
| Deposited in Parliament | 13 November 2006
|
| Department | Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
|
| Basis of consideration | EM of 8 December 2006
|
| Previous Committee Report | None, but see footnote 20
|
| To be discussed in Council | No date set
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
|
| Committee's decision | Cleared
|
Background
8.1 In order to meet the environmental challenges presented by
global warming, the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) requires industrialised countries to return
their emissions of greenhouse gases by the year 2000 to the levels
obtaining in 1990. However, in 1997, the Kyoto Protocol went on
to set legally binding emission targets for industrialised countries
to meet by 2012. The Community of 15 accordingly undertook to
reduce its 1990 emission levels by 8% by the period 2008-2012,
with reductions being apportioned between the individual Member
States under the Burden Sharing Agreement (see Annex I). Of the
10 Member States which acceded on 1 May 2004, all but Cyprus and
Malta have individual reduction targets under the Protocol, equivalent
to 8% (except for Hungary and Poland, where the target is 6%).
The current document
8.2 This report provides a description of historical trends in,
and projections of, greenhouse gas emissions for the EU-15 and
EU-25, based on information provided by Member States, and follows
a couple of earlier reports produced at the end of 2005.[20]
Historical emissions are shown between 1990 and 2004 (the latest
year for which data is now available), whilst projected emissions
are provided for 2010 (the midpoint of the first commitment period)
on the basis of those measures currently in place and the additional
policies and measures being introduced, as well as the effect
of the planned use of the Kyoto flexible mechanisms,[21]
and the projected use of carbon sinks (Land Use, Land Use Change
and Forestry) allowed under the Kyoto Protocol.
8.3 The report notes that, compared with 2003, emissions in the
EU-15 in 2004 increased by 0.3%, and are now 0.9% below
the base year. Also, of the countries concerned, only Sweden and
the UK are on track to meet their Kyoto targets for the first
commitment period using existing measures, whilst six other Member
States[22] are projected
to do so when additional policies and measures, and use of the
Kyoto mechanisms, are taken into account. However, even on this
latter basis, the seven remaining Member States[23]
do not consider that they will meet their targets. It also notes
that aggregate energy-related emissions in the EU-15 increased
between 1990 and 2004, largely as a result of growing transport
and electricity demand, but that this was offset by reductions
in emissions from non-energy related sources, such as agriculture,
waste and industrial processes.
8.4 The report says that, on the basis of existing measures, the
EU-15 is currently projected to be only 0.6% below base year levels
in 2010, but that planned additional policies and measures are
projected to result in a further reduction of 4.0%. In addition,
use of the Kyoto mechanisms will lower Member States' projected
emissions in 2010 by a further 2.6%, whilst removal of carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere through carbon sinks will contribute
a further 0.8%. It says that, taken together, these policies and
measures will allow the EU15 to meet its commitment to reduce
emissions to 8% below base year levels in the period 2008 —
2012.
8.5 For the EU-25, emissions in 2004 were 7.3% lower than the
base year, but this was due mainly to the fall in the ten new
Member States which were affected by economic restructuring in
the 1990s, and emissions did in fact rise in 2004 by 0.4%. The
EU-25 is projected to reduce emissions by 4.9% below base year
levels in 2010 as a result of measures already taken, and by 8.1%
with the implementation of additional measures. The report adds
that the use of Kyoto mechanisms will lower projected emissions
in 2010 to 10.8% below base year levels, but that, without additional
measures, emissions are likely to increase between 2004 and 2010.
However, as things stand, all the eight new Member States which
have made commitments under Kyoto are projected to meet these
with existing policies, as are Bulgaria and Romania.
8.6 More generally, the report notes that the majority of the
measures in the first phase of the European Climate Change Programme
(ECCP), announced in 2001, have been implemented, and that the
second phase was launched in 2005; that the European Union emissions
trading scheme — which it describes as the cornerstone of
the ECCP — was launched on 1 January 2005; and that allocation
plans for emissions credits for the second phase of the scheme,
which coincides with the first commitment period of the Kyoto
Protocol (2008 — 2012), are currently being assessed. It
also notes that ten Member States[24]
have allocated €2.8
billion over the five-year commitment period for the use of Kyoto
mechanisms, and that this is expected to result in emissions savings
equivalent to over 30% of the emissions reduction required by
the EU15.
The Government's view
8.7 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 8 December 2006,
the Minister for Climate Change and Environment at the Department
of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr Ian Pearson) says that
the Community and the UK have taken a leading role in calling
for action to tackle climate change. The UK's new climate change
programme, published in March 2006, sets out how it plans to meet,
and go beyond, its Kyoto target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by 12.5% below 1990 levels over the period 2008-2012. Additionally,
the Energy White Paper published in 2003 announced a goal of putting
the UK on a path to cut carbon dioxide by 60% by 2050, whilst
the Energy Review 2006 reinforced this commitment, and detailed
policies and measures which, if implemented, will ensure that,
by 2020, the UK has made real progress towards the 2050 target.
He adds that the UK emissions of the 'basket' of six greenhouse
gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol fell by 15.1% between the
base year and 2004.
8.8 The Minister says that the UK welcomes the report
as a useful signpost of the progress being made, and of the further
action which will be needed if all Member States and the Community
as a whole are to meet their Kyoto targets. He adds that the Government
has urged all Member States to meet their targets and believes
that the Community should not rely on over-compliance by some
Member States. It, therefore, believes that the report will provide
those Member States in danger of missing their targets with an
incentive to take action.
Conclusion
8.9 This report is the latest in a series of assessments
of the Community's progress towards meeting its Kyoto targets,
and provides some interesting and useful information. As in previous
years, we think it right in clearing the document to report it
to the House, noting that, whilst a number of Member States are
not projected to meet their Kyoto commitments, the Commission
nevertheless estimates that, provided additional measures (including
use of the flexible mechanisms under Kyoto) are taken, the Community
as a whole should also do so by 2010. However, as we observed
last year, this conclusion does depend critically upon those additional
measures being taken, and also seems to place undue reliance on
the contribution made by over-compliance in certain Member States,
such as the UK. To that extent, therefore, it may again prove
to be over-optimistic, particularly as the level of emissions
in 2004 appears to have been higher than that in the previous
year.
20 (27078) 15370/05 and (27124) 15912/05; see HC 34-xvii
(2005-06), para 6 (1 February 2006). Back
21
Joint Implementation (JI) and the Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM)). Back
22
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Back
23
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Back
24
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the
Netherlands, Sweden and Spain. Back
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