41 Amendments of Chris DAVIES related to 2013/2135(INI)
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the European Environment Agency has estimated the minimum cost of not adapting to climate change to range from €100 billion a year in 2020 to €250 billion in 2050 for the EU as a whole;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Eurostat figures show that the EU has reduced its CO2 emissions by 16.97% between 1990 and 2011 and is on track to achieve its 2020 target in this regard; whereas more ambitious CO2 emissions reductions are necessary for the EU to stay on track for meeting its 2050 climate goals;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas research by the European Environment Agency indicates that the EU is currently on track towards meeting its binding target of 20% RES consumption in 2020, but seems to fall short of achieving the non-binding 20% energy efficiency target;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the IEA estimates tha, whilst the EU is responsible for only 11 % of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the proportion is set to decrease in the future soccording to the IEA estimates, the European Single Market has the largest GDP of any economy in the world and significant diplomatic capacity; thatus, even if it has limited capacity in lowering global emissions by means of unilateral actions, it has a significant role to play in particular; as regards the achievement ofleveraging climate action from other economies, and particularly in the context of achieving a binding agreement in Paris in 2015 w; thereasfore, the EU therefore has to define a clear and ambitious position;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the EU spent EUR 573 billion on imported fossil fuels in 2011 and its dependency on energy imports is expected to grow; whereas improving energy efficiency is the most cost-efficient way to reduce Europe’s energy dependency while at the same time cushioning industry and households from rising energy bills; recalls that improving energy efficiency is the only structural approach to tackling fuel poverty;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. recalls the 2013 Energy Efficiency Market Report by the International Energy Agency that recognises energy efficiency as the ‘First Fuel’, and highlights its significant role as a supply side energy resource that is key to enhancing energy security;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas studies indicate that upgrading and developing the grids is the best way to improve the internal market, reduce energy costs and boost the competitiveness of industry;
Amendment 346 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is of the opinion that support schemes, if better used, could be andesigned effectively and with sufficient flexibility, can be ap propriater tool to incentivise the development and deployment of renewable energy sources (RES) and energy efficiency; sees an important role for the Commission in providing guidance in this regard;
Amendment 405 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that increased energy efficiency and energy savings will play an essential role in the decarbonisation of the energy sector; recalls that the efficient use of energy is key to economic productivity and therefore crucial for Europe's economic efficiency and competitiveness; highlights that energy efficiency and savings measures have the potential to reduce significantly Europe's reliance on imported fossil fuels and hence its trade deficit; upholds that cuts in energy consumption through energy efficiency measures result in GHG reduction and increased energy efficiency therefore allows to achieve a higher GHG reduction target at no extra cost;
Amendment 434 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6 d. Stresses that the EU's long-term energy-efficiency policy should take the reduction of energy use in buildings as a central element, given that renovation of existing buildings represents enormous cost-effective energy saving potential; stresses that the current rate and quality of building renovation needs to be substantially scaled up in order to allow the EU to significantly reduce the energy consumption of the existing building stock by 80 %, relative to 2010 levels, by 2050;
Amendment 446 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Asks the Commission to develop better methods and tools for calculating and monitoring progress which could help to draw up a more consistent EU approach to energy efficiency; believes that more should be done to help EU industries to further reduce their energy intensity, in particular via self-generation of heat and power;
Amendment 470 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that as one of the cornerstones of the EU’'s climate and energy package, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) should be able to best fulfil one of its main functions, the reduction of GHG emissions, and respond efficiently to economic downturns and upturfluctuations; rRecalls that the main objectives of the EU ETS isare to reduce GHG emissions and not to provide investors with sufficient incentives to invest in low-carbon technologies, as these should be seen merely as a secondary objective and not as a basis for evaluating if the scheme works as intended; points out that a significant surplus of allowances within the EU ETS is leading to a much lower carbon price than originally expected; calls for an urgent structural reform of the ETS, to be completed in 2014, to deal with the current oversupply of allowances and the mechanism's inflexibility;
Amendment 480 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Reminds the Commission that the Parliament has already called for legislation to be proposed at the earliest appropriate date to modify the 1.74 % annual linear reduction requirement so as to meet the requirements of the 2050 CO2 reduction target;
Amendment 530 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Asks Member States for better cooperation and inteexchange of best practionce at EU level in order to make national measures more consistent;
Amendment 532 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Asks Member States for better cooperation and interaction at EU level in order to make national measures more consistentStresses the need for strong coordination between Member States' policies and for joint initiatives, cooperation and transparency, in view of the fact that national energy policy decisions can affect other Member States; suggests that the Commission should consider how the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) may help facilitate such common approaches;
Amendment 544 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Underlines that CCS is complementary to the development of renewables in the transition to a low carbon economy; notes that the Commission has acknowledged the role CCS plays in both its 2050 Low Carbon Roadmap and its Energy Roadmap 2050; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make CCS an explicit part of the 2030 framework for climate and energy policies;
Amendment 554 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Asks the Commission to examine the interactions between climate and energy objectives in order to achieve the most efficient policies at EU level, taking into consideration not only national GDP but also each Member State’s capacity; recalls that energy efficiency improvements in such areas as buildings and transport result in significant GHG savings on the non-ETS side and can therefore reduce, in the case of an overall EU-wide GHG target, the burden of emissions reduction required through the EU ETS, thus lowering decarbonisation costs for energy intensive industry;
Amendment 588 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission to submit an analysis of how renewableUnderlines the need to continuously analyse how different energy sources can be developed sustainably, taking into account environmental impact, aspects related to dependency on raw materials and life cycle and, above all, how to support stable sources of renewable energy such as hydropower, biomass or geothermal powertheir resource efficient use, and life cycle aspects;
Amendment 596 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. UHighlights the important role of resource efficiency in achieving the EU's climate and energy objectives; urges the Commission and the Member States to integrate the resource efficiency agenda as comprehensively as possible into all other policiesobjectives in other key policy areas and exchange best practice;
Amendment 615 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Underlines the importance of local and regional climate and energy initiatives, as they can significantly contribute to national mitigation efforts and contribute to the further development of decentralised energy generation; encourages the Commission and Member States to remove any obstacles that hamper local and regional authorities delivering on the EU climate and energy objectives and to ensure there is an adequate financial framework in place;
Amendment 630 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines the importance of an energy strategy focused on boosting energy security and economic and industrial competitiveness in the EU, job creation, social aspects and environmental sustainability by means of measures such as increased energy efficiency and savings, the diversification of supply routes, suppliers and sources, the creation of a truly interconnected European energy market and by increasing the deployment of RES;
Amendment 649 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses that, when bringing about security of supply, Member States must be able to take advantage of all of their indigenous energy resources in accordance with policies that ensure the safe and sustainable exploration, extraction and use of these resources provided they are compatible with Europe's long-term climate change goals;
Amendment 663 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses that as the EU pursues its goal of energy security, emphasis needs to be shifted towards a model of energy interdependence between Member States by ensuring the swift completion of the EU internal energy market; believes furthermore that completing the EU supergrid infrastructure linking the north, south, east and west will enable the EU to make the best use of the comparative advantages of each Member State, and; highlights the big offshore wind potential of the North Sea; emphasises the importance of the North Sea offshore grid to enable a cost-effective deployment of renewables in the North Sea; acknowledges in this regard the importance of the North Sea Countries' Offshore Grid initiative and calls on the Member States and the Commission to give it more prominence and support; calls for further support for decentralised and micro-scale energy production and smart energy infrastructures in all Member States; stresses, therefore, the need for strong coordination between Member States’' policies and for joint action, solidarity and transparency in view of the fact that national energy policy decisions can affect other Member States; suggests that it would be desirable to determine whether and how the expertise and facilities of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) could be put to use in carrying out the above tasks;
Amendment 671 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Recalls the conclusions of the 2002 European Council that set a non-binding electricity interconnection target of 10% of national installed production capacity to be achieved by 2005; stresses that the majority of Member States have not achieved this goal; believes that increased interconnection will facilitate cross- border trade and increase EU balancing capacity thereby resulting in more cost- effective integration of RES;
Amendment 672 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Calls on the Commission to include in its objectives for the 2030 framework for climate and energy a binding target, or set of targets, on electricity infrastructure interconnection based on an analysis of the comparative advantages of each Member State in the field of renewable energy and with a view to completing the EU 'supergrid' infrastructure linking North, South, East and West;
Amendment 673 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Notes the importance of aligning the pace of investments in energy infrastructure with investments in RES and other energy sources; emphasises the crucial role of energy transmission in the 2030 framework;
Amendment 674 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Paragraph 21 d (new)
21d. Stresses that European support plays a significant role in facilitating the building of cross-border energy transmission infrastructure across the EU; encourages the Commission and Member States to facilitate such cross- border investments through political and financial support, as well as discussions on incentives and regulatory regimes; highlights the need to support coherent and efficient permit granting regimes for infrastructure investments across Europe;
Amendment 683 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Believes that the lack of full implementation of internal energy market legislation and market distortions such as fossil fuel subsidies remains one of the main obstacles to completion of the single market; highlights the importance of eliminating remaining infrastructure 'bottlenecks' and instances of market failures and of ensuravoiding that noe creation of new barriers to electricity and gas market integration are createdsuch as badly designed capacity markets that discriminate against certain types of balancing resources; insists that in the future all flexibility in the energy system, whether national or European, generation or interconnection/demand response, should be rewarded in a transparent and fair manner; calls on the Commission to take market design into account in its 2030 proposals in order to improve electricity trading and develop transparent balancing and grid support services markets;
Amendment 718 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Notes that in order to ensure security of supply there must be enough capacity to meet demandflexible balancing in peak periods and in periodsof peak demand and of (political or technological) difficulties and that excess capacity or backup must therefore be ensured and maintainedproblems and that flexibility can be effectively provided by cross-border trading and interconnection, a more efficient use of existing excess-capacity and flexible power plant, and demand side management; points out the need for storage and more grid flexibility from the grid as a response to the intermittencevariability of some sources of RES; and in order to match variable supply with flexible demand;
Amendment 743 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Asks the Commission to investigate the potential of energy storage in the EU and the various possible technologies in this area, and the various possible technologies, for energy storage in the EU; emphasises the important role that electric vehicles can play in storing excess renewable electricity and balancing energy grids in times of consumption peaks and shortages;
Amendment 810 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Notes that the EU’'s main competitors on the global market place great emphasis on technological developments, innovation and improving industrial processes; notes also that their economies grow at a much faster pace than the EU; concludes that the EU must give priority to R&D and innovation, innovation and improving the productivity of industrial processes; recalls that the recent evidence shows that while the EU remains a marginal leader in the global clean-tech race, the US and China are rapidly closing the gap; calls therefore on the Commission and the Member States to step up their investments and support for green products and services;
Amendment 818 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Recognises that the renewable energy sector supports other economic sectors in Europe, such as metals, electric and electronic equipment, IT, construction, transport and financial services; regrets that there is no specific industrial policy to address the needs of this fast growing area that brings many jobs to the EU economy; calls on the Commission to develop an industrial strategy for renewable energy technologies, including stakeholders at regional and local level, and focusing on technology innovation, supply chain bottlenecks and financing;
Amendment 829 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Invites the Commission to develop a way of measuring competitiveness between the EU and its main competitors which could, for example, be based on fiscal policies, R&D, innovation, industrial energy prices, and regulatory burdens; stresses the need to factor the external costs of climate change into this new methodology, including those related to the environment, public health and ecosystems more widely;
Amendment 838 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Strongly uUnderlines that any future EU policy must address the comparative strengths and weaknesses of its economy, particularly with regard to any free trade agreement the EU signs up to, especially in light of the planned free trade agreement (TTIP) with the US where energy prices have been decreasing significantly while efforts to reduce GHG emissions are not on par with the progress already achieved in the EUtherefore supports an ambitious and coherent 2030 framework that will spur investment in innovative technologies, incentivise research and development, and thereby strengthen the EU's competitiveness;
Amendment 857 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Welcomes the Commission’'s remarks that the EU climate and energy targets impact differently on each Member State and their citizens, and that this justifies differently which therefore makes it fair to continue to working on a moren equitable effort sharing basis as has been the case to date, taking into account a country’'s GDP, achievements in reducing emissions since 1990, emissions per capita, economic potential and potential for renewable energy sources and energy efficiency;
Amendment 876 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Reminds the Commission that Parliament has called for legislation to require every Member State to produce a 2050 low-carbon strategy; believes that while such nationally-determined roadmaps shall not be legally binding they are essential in order to provide investors and officials with clarity regarding the long term direction of policy and the measures that will be necessary if the goals are to be realised; expects the Commission to propose how the burden will be shared between Member States to set a date for submission of such roadmaps for the purpose of review; calls on the Commission, in the case of any roadmaps that are deemed unrealistic and if the Member State is unwilling to provide appropriate clarification, to propose such additional measures as may be necessary to ensure that the Union's CO2 reduction objectives are credible;
Amendment 878 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 b (new)
Paragraph 34 b (new)
34b. Expects the Commission to propose legislation requiring each Member State to produce, within the context of their long term strategy and on the basis of a harmonised framework that shall be established by the Commission, a national action plan for the achievement by 2030 of CO2 emission reductions commensurate with the EU objective of securing an overall 40% domestic reduction; requires Member States to specify within such action plans their own national targets for improvements in energy efficiency and development of renewable energy; insists that the Commission assess such action plans for consistency with the achievement of the Union's internal energy market and calls on the Commission to make such provisions as may be necessary to ensure that the achievement of national targets shall be a legal requirement within Union law;
Amendment 882 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Points out that the main trend of planned actions should focus on implementing action scenarios that take account of existing potential in Member States, prospects for the development of cost-effective and sustainable new technologies, and the global impact of implementing the proposed policy, in order to be able to propose reduction objectives for the following years;
Amendment 892 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Notes that access to capital, even for heavy industry sectors, is often a barrier tofor investments in cleaner technologies and energy efficiency; tTherefore, asks the Commission to study the possibility of creating a fund thaties to create a fund that brings together existing and new funding streams and could help to leverageing investments, possibly financed inter alia by a share of the ETS revenues; invites the Commission to develop innovative finance instruments and give an increased role to the EIB, national public financing institutions, pension funds and insurance companies;
Amendment 894 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Notes that access to capital, even for heavy industry sectors, is often a barrier to investment in cleaner technologies; therefore asks the Commission to study the possibility of creating a fund that could help to leverage investment, possibly financed by a share of ETS revenue, that may be used to promote the development of innovative low carbon technologies, and to support initiatives to reduce the costs and carbon emissions of energy intensive industries;
Amendment 898 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Notes that, at present, some emerging and developed countries are engaged in differentiatedvarious climate policies and investments, including also implementation of their own eEmissions trading scheme Trading Schemes; welcomes the future prospect of linking EU ETS with other carbon trading mechanisms worldwide to create a global carbon market; stresses that such a global approach will result in a level playing field for European industry and is the most comprehensive and cost-effective approach to tackling industrial GHG emissions;