The EU unveils bold plans to tackle global warming
So far, 2007 seems to be shaping up as the “year of global warming”. As January came, analysts were still debating the report issued in October 2006 by Sir Nicholas Stern, which urged rich countries to combat global warming or risk seeing global GDP cut by 20% by 2200. Then, in February, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its draft report, which predicted that global warming would cause the world’s temperature to rise by somewhere in the range of 1.1-6.4ºC by 2100.
Now Europe is trying to take action. On Friday March 9th, European Union (EU) leaders sealed an agreement on ambitious long-term plans for reducing the 27 member states’ greenhouse footprint. By 2020, governments are supposed to lower emissions to 20% below those of 1990; boost the percentage of energy consumption that comes from renewable sources to 20% of the total; and ensure that biofuels make up at least 10% of fuels used for transport. In exchange for agreeing to these tough targets, individual nations won flexibility in how they reach those goals.
See full Article.
Posts
