EU ministers agree on enhanced cuts in carbon dioxide emissions
21 Feb 2007
Brussels: EU environment ministers said Tuesday that they would cut overall carbon dioxide emissions 20 per cent by 2020. The ongoing EU ministerial talks would also consider including aviation in the EU's emissions trading program, apart from imposing a mandatory limit on CO2 emissions from cars.
EU ministers said at Brussels that they were ready to raise emission cuts to 30 per cent if other industrialized nations agreed to match their efforts to curb global warming. In this regard, German environment minister, Sigmar Gabriel, said his country was prepared to go even further by extending the cuts to 40 per cent. He said such an enhanced cut would have the backing of the German parliament.
European countries will press the matter with G-8 nations, including the United States, Russia, Japan and Canada, when they meet on June6-8 in the German resort of Heiligendamm. The ministers also said that they would seek CO2 cuts from the emerging economies of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa.
Leaders of EU countries will meet in March to settle on a general European strategy, through which Europe turns itself into a low-carbon economy, cutting down on imported oil and natural gas, as well as on general levels of energy consumption.
