With all what comes out of the international climate negotiations lately, it seems safe to assume that they are stuck. From August 2-6, climate negotiators from around the world met in Bonn to work on the documents to be agreed upon at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) in Cancun at the end of November. The negotiations in Bonn have been perceived as a setback not only by observers but also by the involved parties. EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard stated that the negotiations were going backwards while U.S. top-negotiator Jonathan Pershing expressed his deep concern about the future of the climate talks. In this bleak environment, and following the failure of the COP15 in Copenhagen, the question is what role – if any – the EU can play and how it can position itself on the issue of combating climate change. In order to stay influential in this important area, the only feasible remaining option for the EU is to keep investing in green technologies and help other countries do the same.
In Bonn, the same rifts that were the major obstacle at the COP15 returned: the divide between the rich world and poorer countries. Major developing countries seemed to be backtracking on their commitments, made in Copenhagen, to slowly reduce carbon intensity. At the same time, they stated that the developed world was not sufficiently helping the developing world adapt to climate change and its consequences through financing.
The official statement released by the European Commission was cautiously optimistic about progress in Cancun. This is not surprising as the EU has prided itself in being at the forefront of combating climate change and being a leader in the international climate negotiations. However, the question is how much power and influence the EU really has when it comes to this issue. It is almost certain that no international agreement will be reached in Cancun in December. And it is unclear where the negotiations will be headed in the years to come. So with the climate negotiations stalling, the EU has to find other ways to make its voice heard and push its agenda forward. While making unilateral commitments such as reducing its CO2 emissions by 30% (a possibility announced in May by Commissioner Hedegaard) might resonate well with the developing world, it is questionable if this will help the EU’s bargaining power. At the same time, businesses and trade unions in Europe have started raising concerns about potential loss of competitiveness and jobs.
The EU should address these concerns and at the same time regain influence on the world stage by focusing on investment in green technology and renewable energy. This is exactly what EU member states such as Germany, Denmark and Portugal are doing. Germany is one of the world leaders in solar energy, with about 19% of the worldwide solar modules being produced there. The German renewable energy industry has created more than 250,000 jobs, with plans to reach half a million by 2020. Denmark meanwhile is home to the world’s largest offshore wind park, which generates electricity for 200,000 households. In Portugal, almost 45% of the country’s electricity needs come from renewable energy, up from 17% only five years ago, making the country less dependent on fossil fuels and volatile oil prices.
But it is not only the Europeans that have discovered green technology as the way forward. China is producing one third of the world’s solar modules and exporting its wind turbines around the world. As China sets a very good climate for investments in green technology, production in renewable energy is only set to rise.
This is not going unnoticed in the United States. Think tanks like the Centre for American Progress point out that the United States is in danger of losing out in the technology race. Those same Chinese wind turbines are being exported to Texas, and being utilized in one of its largest wind parks. While the wind park will create fewer than 100 jobs in the United States, the production in China will create more than 2,000 jobs.
While the international negotiations stall and the public becomes increasingly disengaged, green technology generate ever-growing interest from businesses and workforces across the world. The EU can and should use this interest to achieve its objective of combating climate change. The international negotiations might be stalling and seem complicated to the general public. However, green jobs and green technology will be welcomed not only by businesses as creating new opportunities but also by workforces around the world. The EU can play a crucial role in exporting this technology, in particular to the developing world. This could take the form of technology transfer, as well as developing new technology together. European countries already work with developing countries on projects such as DESERTEC, which aims to produce solar power in the Sahara and submit the electricity produced to African and European countries via a supergrid.
If the EU remains a frontrunner on green technologies, its declared objective of avoiding disastrous climate change might be feasible, no matter where the international negotiations are headed. By exporting its green technologies to the rest of the world, the EU would help the developing world to be green and develop at the same time. The United States will follow suit once it realizes how much it is potentially losing out on in terms of economic opportunities. Leading by example has helped the EU drive the world in combating climate change. It is more crucial than ever that the EU lead and help the rest of the world work toward a path of sustainable and green development.
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