EU Climate Commissioner Hedegaard to EuroFora: Carbon Tax not excluded after Cancun (Dec. 2010)

    In her 1st Press contacts as EU Climate Commissioner, experienced former Host of UNO's Heads of State/Government Summit on Climate at Copenhagen (December 2009 : See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the spot), and former Danish Minister of Environment, Connie Hedegaard, replying to "EuroFora"s questions on the current EU preparations for June and December 2010 International rendez-vous at Bonn (Germany) and Cancun (Mexico),  didn't exclude a "Carbon Tax" after the Mexico UN Summit, at the end of this year.

    "EuroFora"s question referred to Hedegaard's statement, earlier at EU Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg, that : - "We (EU) are increasing Pressure to make it difficult for those (3rd Countries) who might not agree, if there is no Agreement in Mexico. We try to get the Maximum" possible, out of it, as she had stressed, after anouncing that EU is also "Ready" to fund "Unconditionally" the Developing Countries for 2010-2011, and that  she will start soon an International Campaign, visiting many key Countries and Organizations all over the World.

    -  "Concerning the International Efforts that you shall engage now, before Bonn and in view of Cancun, as you know.. , there have been Proposals, (already before Copenhagen, but even more important afterwards, in order to have some Legally Binding effects), not only to Fund Developing Countries, which is obviously Important, but also to try to convince other Countries, where there might be .."Enviromental Dumping" in the External Economic Relations, eventually by raising a "Carbon Tax" or ..a "Financial Adjustment" at EU's External Borders, if there is "Dumping" by disregard of Climate protection rules. What's your opinion about this ?", "EuroFora" asked Hedegaard, referring to the idea promoted mainly by French President Sarkozy, in agreement with German Chancellor Merkel and other EU or Foreign leaders, which has raised expectations in Ecological movements.

 

     + "Another idea in this direction, is eventually an old UN Convention about Environment Modification, called "ENMOD". (Even if) it's not specific about (Climate),  ..may be, it could  be useful to examine", because "it has been signed even by China and many Developing and other Countries", and "its main point is to raise Responsibilities for States which might modify artificially the Environment. ..Do you think that it might help  to raise, as a matter of Principle, the issue of Responsibilities for Countries which might pollute without taking the required action ?", "EuroFora" also suggested.  

   New EU Commissioner in charge of Climate didn't deny the need for such a "Carbon Tax" or a "Financial Adjustment", nor refused to act in this direction for ever.

    In her Reply to "EuroFora"s Question,  the experienced Hedergaard admitted that there "is a Huge Discussion" about  the "Carbon Tax" (at the External EU Borders, against Environmental Dumping), and that there are several people "who are arguying in Favor of a Carbon Tax".

 

     - "Are you sure, ... (that) this is the Right Timing ?"

    - "In my mind, it depends very much" on that, she tried to explain : - Do we believe that the Major Emerging Economies were serious when in Copenhagen they said that "Now, they also feel a Co-Responsibility for solving this Problem ?"

    - "If we think that they were Serious doing that - and Today, the Indian Minister Ramesh,  said, he sort of re-confimed,  (that) he, an Indian, is also subsrcibing to the Copenhagen Accord -  and "If we (EU) are (also) Serious about that, (i.e. to involve Emerging Economies on Climate protection), then, I think, it should Not be the Time to sort of say : - "OK, but we shall just give you a Carbon Tax !", she advised.

     - "Why not, Now, make an Effort to try to Conclude the International Deal that ought to be possible after the Promisses that have been given by Leaders representing more than 80% of (CO2) Emmissions in Copenhagen ?", she proposed instead.

    - "If they were Serious about the 2 Degrees"' limit of Temperatures' rise, "and (about) the Co-Responsibility, then, they also need to come up with the Targets that in total correspond with the Challenge", Hedergaard warned 3rd Countries, apparently preferring to keep the "Carbon Tax" as an "ultimum remedium", to be used in case of failure to keep their commitments.

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    Meanwhile, EU Commissioner stressed that "Financing Development is Important, and that some 7,2 Billion € for 2010 and 2011 could and should be given "Unconditionaly" and "rapidly" to the Developing Countries", as part of "the Message" that "'Europe is ready".

    On the EU Aid to Developing Countries, Hedegaard added later that "EU is ready, but, of course would like to seen a Deal done with other  Countries (i.e. USA, etc). But, the message is : EU has promissed to deliver our Share, and a very Fair chare out of the Fast-track (2010-2011) Funding of  7,2 Billion that Developed Countries should deliver, roughly 1/3,  and we are prepared to do so. If it were up to us, we (EU) would be Ready to do that, already by Bonn"'s  High Level Climate meeting, scheduled for June.

    - EU Commissioner on Development, Anders Piebalgs, speaking later to "EuroFora" in Strasbourg, revealed that, in consequence, the  June 2010 EU Summit in Brussels, scheduled immediately after the Bonn High Level UNO meetings on Climate, is, indeed, due to have "an important part on Development Aid, of course including Climate issues, but much larger, in view of the forthcoming UNO gatherings to review the Millenium Goals, next September in New York".

    He was referring to the role USA and China reportedly played at Copenhagen, (traditionally considered  to be among the biggest Polluters but also opposed to Climate rules which had been set up at Kyoto in the Past).

    Asked by "EuroFora" to explain "how the EAS could play such a role in a UNO Summit which is at the level of Heads of State/Government", Kasulides replied that "EAS could help by preparing" adequately such a Summit, and by helping the Poliical Leaders to be more effective in their actions.

    - "Some MEPs said that if you had the EU External Service already available at Copenhagen, this would have helped you to have better results. What do you thing about it ?", "EuroFora" asked afterards Hedegaard herself :

    Laughing, Hedegaard replied that she "didn't know" if this might have happened. But "I think it's important that the EU speaks with One Voice. And I think that, that is the Lesson  to  be learned from Copenhagen", she agreed with Kasulides.

    - "It does not mean that only one can Physically be there", she added. "But it's important that, when EU raises its  Opinion, has a View, has a Piority, that we sort of stay it, that we have the Same Priorities". Otherwise, "all our Partners in the World would be very much confused. And , I think, in a Global World, then, you have to really  put some Effort in securing that Europe can speak with a Stronger  and more Uniform Voice",  she concluded.

    For the Time being, Hedegaard said to "EuroFora" what's the "substance" of her "main" wish for Bonn's High-Level meetings to achieve on June :

     - "That would be to start Negotiations on how the Copenhagen Accord can be reflected in the Formal (UN) Negotiations, Because, as you know, everybody wanted to sign up to the Copenhagen Accord, so this is one Key Challenge, and these Negotiations in Bonn will have to face that Challenge", EU Climate Commissioner replied to our question.

     - "In Bonn  we (EU) should try to make a Road-Map in order to ensure Momentum and that there is Substantial Progress on what to deliver for Cancun (Mexico), and, if other Partners don't agree to have a Legally Binding instrument by December 2010, (for which "EU is ready"), then, we could include also South Africa next year (2011), she estimated, in reply to another Journalist's question later-on.

    "Meanwhile, we are very close into bringing the Copenhagen Agreement inside the Formal UN Negotiations, for all or most Countries involved, as well as to close agreements on Forestry, Technology transfert, etc.", she added.

     - "An important goal for Copenhagen's UNO Summit (12/2009) was to involve Countries who had not been in the Kyoto process, and in particular Big Emerging Economies, as China, India and Brasil, which, indeed, started to play the game, as well as the USA. That is a Key European Priority, that came to Life at Copenhagen", Hedegaard observed.

    - "EU is a leader in Emmissions' Reduction" offer, "and very Strong in Wind, Solar and other  Renewable Energies' Technologies , while we (EU) are also one of the most Energy-Efficient areas in the World", New EU Climate Commisioner stressed. "But we should be  Careful : F.ex. China is moving very Fast. India is moving. South Africa is moving. The US", etc. "The Competition gets tougher. So, we (EU) must take also New Steps in order to keep our Leadership", she advised.
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    But, in fact, it doesn't seem absolutely sure that all EU and other, particularly Northern Countries' real Interests might push them to be so eager to Rapidly deal with Global Warming..

    Not so much because they might be, at least for the Time being, comparatively less affected by the raising Temperatures which naturally hit first and harder the Southern and Central European and other, Developing or even Developed Countries, Geographically located closer to the Equator.

    But, perhaps, also because, it's a Fact that, meanwhile, Ice-Melting may open to Northern  Countries soon access to Arctic Ocean's apparently huge Oil/Gaz resources..

     This started to emerge with recent Facts noted by Hedegaard  when she replied to earlier "EuroFora"'s Question, on "Global Warming and Extreme Weather Phenomena, as Snowstorms, etc", (See other NewStory, already sent to Subscribers/Donors).    

The experienced former Danish Minister of Environment, replying to that other "EuroFora"s question, observed that, even if  "now we have Snow in Europe and in the US, (nevertheless), at the same time, they had the Mildest Winter for long in Groenland, and they had the Hottest Summer for long in Australia !".

    I.e.  Global Warming still goes on in Areas close to the Poles.

 

    And she also admitted later, that , indeed, "there is a Reality, that, if the Ice is Melting, you can pass from the North-Western passage", and "we may do that Earlier than we had expected", as she said for the "Timing".

    But, replying afterwards to another Journalist's question, she denied that this might contradict or delay EU's proper action v. Climate change :

    - "That creates new Challenges, that will have to be addressed, but it doesn't necessarily contradict what we have to do" against Climate Change", Hedergaard said.