EWEA called today on Environment Ministers – meeting tomorrow in Luxembourg to reach a common position on climate change – to increase the EU’s emissions reductions target from 20 to 30% by 2020.

“A decision to move from 20 to 30% should not depend on the state of international climate change negotiations, but on Europe’s economic interests,” said Christian Kjaer, Chief Executive of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). “European companies are world leaders in climate-friendly technologies such as wind energy, but they will only remain so if Europe maintains ambitious climate policies".
 
“There is a real risk that with the climate negotiations making no progress, Europe will relax its climate ambitions – blaming others for not adopting binding emissions reduction targets - but the Chinese, Americans and others know there is a large and growing global market for green energy and are getting ready to compete”.
 
"Before the crisis, the European Commission said that meeting the EU’s objective of 20% of renewable sources of energy and 20% CO₂ would create more than 900,000 new jobs.  But  the economic crisis has made  20% emissions reductions easier to meet, so more than 20% of CO₂ reductions are needed to create those green jobs".
 
The 900,000 jobs created would be far more than are currently employed by Europe’s flagship car manufacturers, like Daimler with 257,000 or Volkswagen with 370,000.
 
EWEA supports the stance adopted by the German, British and French  governments, which in July declared their wish for Europe to move to a 30% emissions reduction target, and have since been joined by the Danish government.
 
To show its support, EWEA is organising a public debate in Brussels later today - the eve of the Environment Council - with Commissioner Connie Hedegaard, the chair of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee Jo Leinen, the president of EWEA Arthouros Zervos (chair of PPC, Greece’s largest energy producer) and Teresa Presas, chair of the  Alliance for a Competitive European Industry. The meeting will be held from 16:00-17:30 in the Residence Palace – click here for further details

For more information contact: Peter Sennekamp, EWEA, GSM: +32 496 91 93 15