EPP Group Françoise Grossetête: The historic climate agreement in Paris is a very important milestone in alleviating the negative consequences of climate change

BRUSSELS, 14-12-2015 — /EuropaWire/ — “The historic climate agreement in Paris is a very important milestone in alleviating the negative consequences of climate change. There has been great mobilisation around the world for a common cause and we have finally acted together”, said Françoise Grossetête MEP, Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group responsible for the Economy and Environment, as the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) concluded in Paris.

The 195 countries said ‘yes’ to a legally-binding agreement. The aim is to limit dangerous rises in the average global temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

As it is, the COP 21 resulted in a balanced and flexible agreement engaging all countries around the world. Karl-Heinz Florenz MEP, head of the EPP Group delegation at COP 21, said: “For the first time in history, we have an agreement on climate change where every country in the world has stood up and promised to make an effort.”

He added: “There is now an obligation to review emission reductions every five years. And, for the first time, these obligations have to be verified and made transparent. This is a substantial improvement of the current situation.”

The EPP Group has called for an ambitious yet balanced global agreement like the one that has now been agreed. At the same time, one of the EPP Group’s main concerns is so-called carbon leakage – a state where, as a result of stringent climate policies, businesses transfer production to other parts of the world with lesser constraints on greenhouse gas emissions.

“The work doesn’t stop here. This agreement has to be followed up by concrete measures and we have to see to it that they are applied. I recall that Europe already has high standards for its industry, so we have to be careful on the question of carbon leakage and keep in mind that common standards have to be applied everywhere,” Françoise Grossetête concluded.

MEP CONTACTS

Françoise GROSSETÊTE
BRU – Phone: +32 (0)2 2845952 Fax: +32 (0)2 2849952
Email: francoise.grossetete@europarl.europa.eu
@GrosseteteF

Karl-Heinz FLORENZ
BRU – Phone: +32 (0)2 2845320 Fax: +32 (0)2 2849320
Email: karl-heinz.florenz@europarl.europa.eu

PRESS CONTACTS

Lars Ole Løcke
Danish press
@LoeckeEPP
E-mail: lars.loecke@europarl.europa.eu
Phone: +32 470 47 48 38

SOURCE: EPP Group

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EPP Group Françoise Grossetête: The historic climate agreement in Paris is a very important milestone in alleviating the negative consequences of climate change