EESC opent raadpleging over onderhandelingen komende VN klimaattop (en)

EESC public consultation on the United Nations Climate Change negotiations

Today, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) launched a public consultation on the United Nations Climate Change Negotiations. It is inviting representatives from European organised civil society to give input to a report it will develop during this year in order to give feedback from organised civil society to the next UN Conference in Poznan, Poland, in December 2008.

At the UN Climate Conference in Bali, a roadmap was set out to pave the way for a global agreement to be reached in Copenhagen in 2009. Just as at global level, such an agreement would have large impacts on Europe: which new industries will emerge and which ones will lose importance?; where will new jobs be created, where might they be lost?; how much pressure will be put on ecosystems?; how will we consume, produce and travel in the future?; how would a transfer of technologies and funding to developing countries on an unprecedented scale be organised? - and so on.

Such questions are of utmost importance for civil society in Europe. It is obvious that a new global climate regime can only be successful with the participation of businesses, trade unions, NGOs and other civil society representatives. Therefore, it is indispensable that the voice of organised civil society be heard in the context of the negotiation process.

In line with its mandate, the EESC intends to give input to the UN negotiation process by drawing on the views of the various parts of organised civil society about the objectives of the negotiations and the implications for Europe. For this public consultation, the Committee has put together a questionnaire, focussing on the Bali Roadmap's four building blocks on which a future global climate regime should be based - Enhanced mitigation of climate change by limiting or reducing emissions; adaptation to climate change; action on technology development and transfer; scaling up of finance and investment to support mitigation and adaptation.

Derek Osborn, chairman of the EESC's Sustainable Development Observatory and rapporteur of this opinion, stated that:"The challenges posed by climate change are unprecedented, and ambitious international action is urgent. Although Bali was an encouraging start, the most important work still lies ahead. If we succeed we will be looking at the most comprehensive global agreement ever, yet, if we want to live up to our responsibility for future generations, we cannot afford to fail. Therefore, the future agreement must be thoroughly designed by drawing on the knowledge of all major stakeholders; organised civil society undoubtedly being one of them."

The public consultation is open until 11 April 2008. More details can be found at: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/sections/sdo/index_en.asp?id=1510sdoen

In the framework of this opinion, the EESC will hold a conference on 15 May 2008 in Brussels for civil society organisations and the European Institutions on the negotiations and their implications for Europe.