Activities of Lena EK related to 2011/2012(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on analysis of options to move beyond 20% greenhouse gas emission reductions and assessing the risk of carbon leakage
Amendments (25)
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that while the economic crisis has lead to an enormous reduction in downturn of industrial production capacities, to a downturn in economic growth and to labour displacement; points out that any loss in GDP must be regarded as a cost in itself, compromising industry's investment potential; warns against the general conclusion thateconomic growth as well as to unemployment, the economic crisis has made emissions reduction cheaper;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Agrees with the Commission's and the International Energy Agency'’s (IEA) assumption that delaying investments in low-carbon energy technologieemission reductions would lead to higher costs at a later stage; considershighlights studies showing that, if it is to meet cost- effectively the 2050 long-term target as confirmed once again by the European Council on 4 February 2011, the EU would have to speed up its efforts after havingmerely achieveding 20% emissions reductions in 2020 is insufficient; welcomes, therefore, the Commission'’s intention to draw trajectories designed to achieve long- term targets in the most cost-efficient way as of now;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for the application of a general principle that the most cost-effective measures to reduce emissions should be taken firstEU should follow the most cost-effective pathway toward its long-term climate target, while ensuring that promising innovative technologies get support for timely deployment on the market, and avoiding investments that lock the EU into long-term high-carbon emitting infrastructure and installations;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for energy efficiency to be one of the priorities in future climate policy measures; acknowledges that achieving the EU's energy efficiency objective of 20% by 2020 would enable the EU to meet its 2020 emissions reduction commitments of 20% and more; considerreduce its emissions by 25% domestically by 2020 according to the Commission and by 30% according to other analysis; notes that according to the Commission's impact assessment this2050 Roadmap a 25% domestic reduction level would still be on the cost- effective path towards the 80-95% long- term reduction target;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Stresses that the Commissions analysis of the most cost-effective emissions reduction trajectory shows that a pathway less ambitious than 25% by 2020 would result in significantly higher overall costs over the entire period and could lock in carbon intensive investments, resulting in higher carbon prices later on[1]; __________________ [1] Commission Communication entitled ´A Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050´ (COM(2011)0112)
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission to take the necessary action to ensure that Member States fully implement their energy savings commitments, either by introducing a requirement that National Energy Efficiency Action Plans must be approved by the Commission or by means of further measureestablish a binding energy efficiency target at a European level in the upcoming directive on energy efficiency and savings, in order to ensure that Member States fully implement their energy savings commitments through their National Energy Efficiency Action Plans;
Amendment 99 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
Amendment 114 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Draws attention to the increasing importance of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies in reducing carbon emissions, not only in the energy sector; statehighlights that, according to the IEA CCS roadmap, in 2030 half of all CCS projects will be in the industrial manufacturing sector;
Amendment 122 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that the development and deployment of breakthrough technologies hold the key to fighting climate change and, at the same time, convincing the EU's partners worldwide that emissions reductions are feasible without losing competitiveness and jobs; considers it essential that Europe should lead by example by substantially increasing expenditure devoted to research on climate-friendly and energy-efficient industrial technologies under the Research Framework Programme and SET-Plan programme;
Amendment 123 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Highlights the potential for agriculture to make a major contribution to tackling climate change and in particular the potential of using agricultural residues in the production of sustainable energy, thereby adding an additional revenue stream to the income of farmers; believes that the future CAP should be a tool to help Member States reach environmental and climate change targets and that it should help farmers seize the benefits embedded in green growth; believes that the greening component of the CAP must be a part of the direct payments in the first pillar to avoid complicated administrative procedures, ensure that it incentivises farmers' environmental commitments and to secure equal implementation across Member States;
Amendment 129 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes that, according to the Commission's assessment, setting a higher reduction target would lead to a reduction in oil and gas imports of up to EUR 40 billion by 2020 at an assumed oil price of US$ 88 per barrel in 2020; notes that the EU's dependence on energy imports could thus be reduced by up to 56%; further notes that this is an underestimation of current and future oil prices;
Amendment 137 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. NoteHighlights that tightening the ETS reduction target would lead to amust be accompanied with ambitious energy efficiency measures in order to mitigate further increases in electricity prices, which would be a major concern for EU industries and for consumers;
Amendment 139 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Notes that in terms of international competitiveness greater EU mitigation efforts would create cost advantages for the EU's international competitors and, at the same time, lead to competitive margins for EU companies in the area of climate technologieEmphasises the potential increase in European competitiveness from innovation and increased investments created as a result of the transformation into a sustainable economy; highlights that greater EU mitigation efforts would lead to competitive margins for EU companies in the area of climate technologies and that the creation of new jobs whilst, in terms of international competitiveness could create cost advantages for the EU's international competitors in some sectors; considers that for the EU's competitors signing up an international agreement would mean giving up the cost advantages, whereas the EU's competitive margin in such sectors would be likely to remain unaffected; therefore asks the Commission to analyse whetherat impact a unilateral move by the EU beyond 20% greenhouse gas emissions reductions could serve as an incentive forhave on other countries willingness to join an international agreement;
Amendment 143 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses that climate-friendly innovation in Europe is necessary to maintain a strong position in a rapidly growing global market for low-carbon technologies; warns against the risks associated with "green jobs leakage" as delays in the creation of an inclusive and sustainable European economy diverts investments and jobs in green sectors to other regions;
Amendment 145 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Underlines that many countries are moving fast towards a new sustainable economy, for various reasons including climate protection, resource scarcity and efficiency, energy security, innovation or competitiveness; notes in this context the latest Five-Year Plan presented by the Chinese government;
Amendment 153 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
Amendment 157 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Deplores the factNotes that the additional impact on electricity prices has not been sufficiently refleccannot be addressed through free allocation and, therefore, is not taken into account in the benchmarking exercise and the related in the Commission's assumptions onlist of sectors considered as exposed to carbon leakage; stresses that 40% of EU electricity is used by industry, which is significantly affected by any increase in the carbon price as a result of the passing-on of costs by the electricity sector; reminds however that Member States were specifically granted the right to use auctioning revenue to mitigate this effect on electro-intensive industries through state aid;
Amendment 159 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Points out however that, according to the Commission among others, few industrial sectors are particularly vulnerable to carbon leakage, and considers that identifying these requires a detailed sectoral analysis; calls on the Commission to use such an approach in the near future, rather than a few quantitative criteria that are identical for all sectors of industry;
Amendment 162 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Notes that carbon price forecasts for the 2020 carbon market vary substantially, from €55/tCO2 as assumed in the Commission's calculations, up to €67/tCO2 on the basis of a 30% domestic reductions scenario; calls therefore regards the projections drawn up by the Commission as part of the carbon leakage risk assessment as relatively optimistic and unreliableon the European Commission to regularly reassess the list of industries considered to be exposed to significant risk of carbon leakage should the EU move to a 30% domestic target;
Amendment 168 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Considers that steps should be taken to ensure that increaspotential changes in labour and energy costs as a result of EU climate change policies shouldo not lead to social dumping or carbon leakage; argues, therend calls on the commission to investigate any such risks; fore, thatis reason, also calls on other developed or developing countries shouldto commit to appropriate or comparable efforts;
Amendment 173 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Stresses that increases in carbon prices will lead to further increases in electricity costs; states that every €1 increase in the carbon price results in more than €2 billion in extra costs for society in the form oftransfer to Member States’ budget from electricity chargeonsumers, 40% of which is accounted for by industry; urges the Commission quickly to come up with guidelines for electricity cost compensation;
Amendment 176 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Expresses its concern that imports from countries with lower CO2 restrictions have been mainly responsible for a 47% increase in consumption-related CO2 emissions in the EU between 1990 and 2006; asks the Commission to assess whether such trendhowever, notes thave continued under the ETS and might increase during the third implementation phase (20/30%); considers that measures to counteract such carbon consumption trends, provided that they are fair and in compliance with WTO rules, could help to encourage the EU's trading partners to join an international agreementt this is independent of EU climate policies in general and the EU ETS in particular;
Amendment 188 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 29 – point 7 a (new)
Paragraph 29 – point 7 a (new)
·investigate the potential negative impact in terms of green jobs leakage and reduced investments and competitiveness in green sectors, should the EU decide not to raise substantially its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target beyond 20% by 2020.