Sonja van Renssen provides an overview of the Top 5 Environment priorities for the Dutch EU Presidency: 1. COP21 follow-up: The “Energy Union, climate and transport” is one of the Dutch presidency’s five strategic priorities overall. 2. Circular economy: The Netherlands hopes to agree conclusions with other Member States on a non-legislative action plan to make more efficient use of resources and to kick off debate on new legal definitions … [Read more...]
“Huge challenge to deliver enough oil and gas for 2ÂşC” – Statoil on Paris climate talks
In this video for viEUws - the EU Policy Broadcaster - journalist Sonja van Renssen is joined by Jos Delbeke (Director General for Climate Action, European Commission), Kathleen Van Brempt MEP (Vice-president of the S&D Group) and Eirik Wærness (Chief Economist and Vice President, Statoil) to debate the question: “Road to Paris: can the EU retain its leadership role at COP21?” … [Read more...]
The EU’s climate strategy for Paris: recipe for another failure?
The European Commission has proposed a strategy for the Paris climate talks that includes the aim of achieving a “Paris Protocol”. According to Susanne Dröge and Oliver Geden of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin, this strategy does not take into account the new global context of the negotiations. They urge the EU to drop the word “protocol”, consider how to align the international process with internal EU … [Read more...]
Dutch court’s climate ruling may force other states to cut emissions – or else
States have a duty of care towards their citizens that the absence of a global climate treaty does not take away, argues Professor Arthur Petersen from University College London. A recent court ruling in the Netherlands sets a precedent for national judges to directly use climate science to find governments liable for inadequate action on climate change, he says. The ruling's biggest impact may be outside the Netherlands. … [Read more...]
