COP18 (06/12/2012) – Bas Eickhout, Member of the European Parliament Groenlinks for the Dutch Greens says that he is not optimistic for the summit’s outcomes. At his 5th UNFCCC conference, he says he has noticed a lack of tension as if all the important issues can be postponed and the feeling that no one here really cares.
On the role of the EU, he says that last year the EU was clear that it was at COP to act, while this year it is divided and unclear on issues like hot air and AAUs in the Kyoto Protocol. He describes how the EU is always claiming that it wants more ambition, but that to step up to a 30% emissions reduction target for 2020 it must solve the hot air issue and come to UN summits with formal proposals.
He says that we all know that the green economy is the future, and that the way to go to a green economy is to act now and gain a competitive advantage.