8th October 2008 - Linda welcomes climate change breakthrough

Linda McAvan has welcomed the result of a crucial series of votes in the European Parliament to beef up Europe´s policies on climate change.   MEPs voted to expand and toughen up the EU's greenhouse gas trading system (ETS) - one of the EU's top priorities, covering about half of Europe's greenhouse gas emissions from 2013-2020.   They also agreed plans to support the development of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) which our local Regional Development Agency, Yorkshire Forward, sees a a key plank of the regional strategy to combat climate change. 

Ms McAvan, who is taking a lead role amongst Labour MEPs on Europe-wide climate change legislation, described these new laws as essential if we are to avoid dangerous changes to weather patterns.

Changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), under which the carbon emissions from industry across Europe are capped., will mean electricity companies will from 2013 have to buy permits to emit C02 and other greenhouse gases.  This will avoid the problem of "windfall profits" and means that new funding will be generated which governments can spend on tackling fuel poverty, renewable energy and investment in industry to create new, "green" jobs.

MEPs also agreed that the ETS is reformed to release up to €10 billion for investment into new Carbon Capture and Storage demonstration projects.  CCS is a system for extracting C02 from coalfired power stations and other major industrial emitters and storing the carbon in disused oil and gas seams.  Yorkshire Forward is currently developing a major CCS project for our region.

The Committee’s vote follows earlier votes on renewable energy which will see a major boost to new schemes and on cuts in C02 emissions from cars.  These new laws are part of a package of climate change measures to deliver Europe´s 20% emission reductions by 2020, in the run up to crucial international negotiations on climate change.

This week´s votes will now need to be approved by a vote of the full European Parliament, and will be scrutinised by national governments, before they can come into force.

Linda McAvan said;

"This was a big vote on some of the big issues that face our region: how do we tackle climate change, make sure that we have enough energy to meet people’s needs, and prevent people from facing fuel poverty? European governments have already committed to work together to face these challenges and set targets for reduction of carbon emissions. This vote represents a big step towards achieving those targets, and doing so in a way that really benefits the region.”