Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
EU
The EU has maintained a coordinated position on climate change, usually speaking
through its presidency, which rotates every six months. It has been rare for individual
EU states to speak during the UNFCCC negotiations. The EU has a very similar split
in its members to JUSSCANNZ, with both high and low energy-efficient economies.
The consensus view of the EU has been to position itself as the environmental leader,
with the mandated cuts of 20% by 2020, which at Copenhagen they were prepared to
raise to 30% if other countries signed up to the post-2012 agreement. The EU rationale
has been that any negotiated reduction could then be apportioned between the EU
countries, depending on their development. This position has been greatly aided by
both the UK and Germany experiencing a significant downturn in GHG emissions. In
the UK, this was done by replacing coal with gas, while Germany's downturn was due
to updating and cleaning up the inefficient industries of the former East Germany.
However, the internal divisions within the EU and its cumbersome internal decision-
making procedures make it a frustrating negotiating partner.
