WWF believes that more ambitious CO2 reduction targets are required, but even the proposed 30% target would not be enough to achieve Europe’s long-standing commitment to keep temperature increases below 2C.

Lower Costs

A European Commission paper published today states the costs of reaching a higher target are much lower than previously thought. It also shows that an increased target will act as a stimulus for innovation and save the European economy billions of Euros in oil and gas imports.

Vital First Step

The paper presents an objective assessing of the economic and political impacts of increasing the EU’s CO2 emission reduction target from 20% to 30% by 2020. In response to this new analysis, WWF-UK’s Head of Climate Change, Keith Allott said:

“Moving to a 30% target now is a vital first step if Europe is to kick-start the transformation to a green economy and to generate new industries and jobs – especially if the focus is on domestic delivery rather than offsetting. It would also go some way to restoring EU leadership in the aftermath of the Copenhagen summit. Sticking with the current 20% target is just business as usual – and means that Europe and the UK will become locked into costly high-carbon investments.”

Stacking Up

A number of reports in recent years have echoed the sentiments of this latest paper, and the evidence for making the proposed changes to the targets appears to be stacking up:

• The RECIPE report sponsored by WWF Germany and Allianz found that a reduction target of 30% made economic sense, even without deeper reduction commitments in other countries.

• A study published in 2009 by WWF France found that a 30% CO2 cut by 2020 would yield a net gain of 684,000 jobs in France alone.
• A report WWF co-sponsored with CAN Europe and HEAL in 2008 found that the additional benefits to public health in the EU of a 30% target compared with a 20% target totalled up to EUR 25 bn. annually from 2020 onwards.

Minimum

WWF is keen to stress that a 30% reduction should just be a minimum aim, and even stricter controls will be required if climate change is to be kept in check.

Last year, WWF collected signatures from the world’s leading climate scientists on a statement indicating that developed economies like Europe ‘must cut emissions by 40 per cent by 2020 in order to keep global warming below 2 degrees.

They have called on EU leaders to make clear that they would move to a higher target in the context of an international climate agreement.

If you believe that governments and organisations around the world are not doing enough to prevent climate change, then you can help WWF to raise awareness and lobby for real change to policy. By joining WWF today you will become a member of an organisation that has great potential to shape the state of the world both in our lifetimes and for generations to come. Your donations will be invaluable to ensure that WWF can go on doing their excellent work.