december: telling the european union “it’s time to lead!”
Friends of the Earth Europe joined other green and development groups to campaign throughout 2008 on the European Union’s response to climate change – its climate and energy package.
As part of the ‘Time to Lead’ coalition, Friends of the Earth Europe asked European politicians to set ambitious targets for cutting greenhouse gases by 2020.
Thousands of Europeans took action through www.timetolead.eu and asked politicians from their country to be bold and look to the long-term advantages of ambitious action against global warming: new green jobs, better health, improved energy security and the avoidance of the very worst impacts of climate change for the most vulnerable people all over the world.
The final deal done by EU heads of state and government in December made a weak and ambiguous commitment to the 30% reduction in EU emissions by 2020that they had announced in 2007. Furthermore, the agreement would mean that around two thirds of these reductions could be met by buying carbon credits from projects outside of EU borders.
On the topic of compliance mechanisms, a central demand for FoE Europe’s Big Ask campaign, EU leaders also refused to introduce measures such as fines to compel countries to meet their national targets.
The EU also failed to make binding commitments to provide funds to help developing countries to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change, and to reduce the growth in their emissions.
Friends of the Earth Europe will continue to push the European Union to do more to tackle climate change and fulfill its historical responsibilities as one of the main contributors to climate change.
