European Union News - Environmnet

Monitoring the results of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference and international environmental governance are “the two main fields” of focus for the working sessions of the informal environment ministers' meeting, held on Saturday 16 January in Seville.

The European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB), the bank of the EU Member States, have launched a grant aid initiative to help local and regional authorities make investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy. The global fight against climate change is a top priority for the European Union and it is acknowledged that local actors will play a significant role in meeting this challenge. The ELENA facility is designed to help cities and regions, through the provision of technical assistance, structure and implement projects in the most efficient way so they can attract outside finance.

Commission president José Manuel Barroso expressed disappointment with the 11th-hour accord eked out at the Copenhagen climate conference, saying it fell “far short” of the EU’s expectations. The pact lacks elements the EU considers crucial, including collective targets for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Not only does it fail to set a 2010 deadline for concluding a treaty, it does not even mention the need for a legally binding agreement.

A huge disappointment is what the European Parliament delegation to the COP15 said about the agreement on climate change which was reached at last in Copenhagen. The outcome and the procedure show an urgent need to reform the UN working method.

The Regions for Economic Change annual conference, organized by the European Commission, will be held on 20-21 May 2010 in Brussels.

European leaders have pledged a total of €7.2bn over the next three years to help poorer nations cope with global warming, hoping to boost support for an agreement in Copenhagen. Moreover, they agreed to create several monitoring mechanisms for banks.

Registration for the second edition of the High Level event on ICT for Energy Efficiency, which is organised by the European Commission's Information Society and Media Directorate-General, in cooperation with the Spanish Presidency of the European Union is already open.

On 10 and 11 December Heads of State and Government will discuss climate change and economic issues. This is the first meeting of the Council after the entry into force of Lisbon Treaty, wich modifies part of the institutional architecture of the EU

The Commission has approved 15 energy projects which will significantly contribute to the economic recovery of the EU, while increasing our security of energy supply and substantially reduce CO2 emissions. With today's decision, the Commission grants €1 billion to six Carbon Capture and Storage projects and €565 million to nine offshore wind energy projects.