Germany told to use EU and G8 Presidencies to spur climate change action
The German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) has called on the German Government to capitalise on its dual presidency of the EU and the G8 to drive forward climate change technologies and policies. The WBGU paper makes it clear that if the most dangerous impacts of climate change are to be avoided, current trends must be reversed within 10 years, and greenhouse gas emissions must be halved by 2050, using those from 1990 as a baseline. 'There is a widening gap between the action that is urgently needed and current climate policy. The Council is therefore convinced that a new climate policy dynamic is required worldwide. Germany's dual Presidency of the Council of the European Union and G8 offers a particularly good opportunity to drive global climate protection forward,' states the WBGU. The paper recommends that Germany uses its EU Council Presidency to launch an 'efficiency revolution', substantially expanding the use of renewable energies and thereby demonstrating to the international community that climate protection is feasible. The G8 Presidency meanwhile should be used to draw up an innovation pact on decarbonisation. The pact should include agreements on efficiency and CO2 emissions standards, the development of a road atlas for the decarbonisation of energy systems, and the promotion of technological cooperation. 'With future generations in mind we need today an intelligent modification of technology,' said Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Rachel from the Ministry of Education and Research, as he welcomed the policy paper. 'Germany has already today a leading role, which we want to strengthen,' he said The State Secretary pledged that the Research Ministry will build up further its activities for climate protection, and make available &8364;255 million over the next three years for the action programme Research for Climate Change. 'The goal of the research is a better understanding of climate change and the development of technologies with which we can first slow down greenhouse gas emissions, and second prepare for the coming changes to the climate,' said Mr Rachel. The WBGU paper also emphasises the importance of encouraging consumers to make use of the energy-saving technologies that are already available, including domestic appliances, cars and insulation for the home.
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