Activities of Matthias GROOTE related to 2011/2012(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on analysis of options to move beyond 20% greenhouse gas emission reductions and assessing the risk of carbon leakage
Amendments (26)
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that the economic crisis has led to an enormous reduction in industrial production capacities, to a downturn in economic growth and to labourthe displacement or loss of many jobs; points out that any loss in GDP must be regarded as a cost in itself, compromising industry's investment potential; warns against the general conclusionpoints out that it cannot be generally assumed that the economic crisis has made emissions reduction cheaper;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas future EU climate diplomacy activities conducted by the European External Action Service should focus on firm engagement with third countries, build effective cooperation mechanisms with international partners and agree on binding climate objectives with third countries to combat climate change;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Agrees with the Commission's and the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) assumption that any delay ing investments in low-carbon energy technologiereducing CO2 emissions would lead to higher costs at a later stage; considers that, if it is to meet the 2050 long-term target as confirmed once again by the European Council on 4 February 2011, the EU would have to speed up its efforts after having achieved 20% emissions reductions in 2020; welcomes, therefore, the Commission’s intention to draw trajectories designed to achieve long- term targets in the most cost-efficient way;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the fact that the EU is well on track to meet its 2020 renewable energy goalCalls on the EU to make greater efforts to increase the share of renewable energies in the electricity sector to 40% by 2020 and to create the conditions for intellligent networks, in order to guarantee increasingly decentralised energy production; stresses that to achieve this, more must be invested in energy infrastructure projects;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Regrets that the EU is investing too little in carbon-free and low-carbon technologies, with the exception of nuclear energy, although European companies are leaders in this field and have relied upon receiving subsidies;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the Commission only sets out the results of the analysis into the implications of the 20% and 30% targets from today's perspective, and thus - given changes in the framework conditions - would like to make it easier to reach a specific decision on changing the target;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F e (new)
Recital F e (new)
Fe. whereas the upheavals in North Africa and the Middle East clearly show that dependence on fossil fuels, and particularly oil, has resulted in compromises in EU policy towards oil supplying countries like Libya that are not sustainable in the long term, which makes it a matter of urgency to reduce dependence on fossils fuels from an external policy perspective as well;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for the application of a general principle that the EU should seek to take the most cost-effective measures possible to reduce emissions should be taken first;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission Communication demonstrating that stepping up to a 30% target is in principle technically feasible and economically affordable; stresses at the same time, however, that the necessary conditions do not currently exist, the target requires close analysis and, above all, attention needs to be paid to the economic and social consequences in the Member States;
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Emphasises that in many fields energy savings and energy efficiency offer the most cost-effective potential for additional reductions; draws attention to the untapped potential in the areas of energy performance of buildings, in particular existing buildings, the transport sector, public procurement and energy production, transformation and transmission, including district heating; reiterates that concrete measures in these areas are essential and draws attention to the relevant proposals included in the Bendtsen report; urges that energy-saving measures must be implemented first and foremost at national, regional and local level and that a communication strategy must be developed for EU projects so as to provide both undertakings and consumers with full information;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls for the Commission to come forward with proposals to move to a 30% greenhouse gas reduction target for 2020 as soon as possible, and at the latest by the end ofas soon as possible, and at the latest by the end of 2011, with an analysis containing an impact assessment for each Member State on whether and how a 25% greenhouse gas reduction target for 2020 can be achieved and the economic and social consequences this would entail; emphasises also, however, that if there is international support for a 30% target, the EU should be ready to act and should maintain the option of immediately raising the greenhouse gas reduction target to 30% in 201120;
Amendment 95 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes that the Commission has identified investment needs of €1 trillion to upgrade the EU's energy infrastructure by 2020, mainly to be financed through energy tariffs; calls for these investments to be made, with a view both to completing an interconnected internal energy market and, substantially decreasing the carbon intensity of the European energy system and significantly improving the integration of renewable energies;
Amendment 111 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Draws attention to the increasing importance of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies in reducing carbon emissions, not only in the energy sector; states that, according to the IEA CCS roadmap, in 2030 half of all CCS projects will be in the industrial manufacturing sector; stresses that social acceptance is necessary for a comprehensive evaluation of possible CCS projects;
Amendment 120 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Reiterates that cumulative emissions are decisive for the climate system; notes that even withif the international community agrees to a pathway of 30% reductions in 2020, 55% in 2030, 75% in 2040 and 90% in 2050 and this is achieved, the EU would still be responsible for approximately double its per capita share of the global 2°C compatible carbon budget, and that delaying emissions reductions increases the cumulative share significantly;
Amendment 158 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Deplores the fact that the additional impact on electricity prices has not been sufficiently reflected in the Commission's assumptions on carbon leakage; stresses that 40% of EU electricity is used by industry, which is significantly affected by any increase in the carbon price as a result of the passing-on of costs by the electricity sector; points out, however, that the Member States can, in the context of aid schemes, use the proceeds of auctions to limit this effect;
Amendment 163 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Notes that forecasts for the 2020 carbon market vary substantially, from €55/tCO2 as assumed in the Commission’s calculations, up to €67/tCO2 on the basis of a 30% domestic reductions scenario; therefore regards the projections drawn up by the Commission as part of the carbon leakage risk assessment as relatively optimistic and unreliablecalls on the Commission to submit a new projection for the carbon leakage risk assessment;
Amendment 169 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Calls on the Commission, on the one hand, to take measures to meet labour market requirements arising from the change to a low-carbon economy and, on the other, to launch restructuring measures covering workers who become available in the new sectors;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Stresses that the latest developments at the international level have clearly demonstrated that it is even more imperative than ever to meet the 20% energy efficiency target; proposes that the target be met with the help of a mix of instruments including European and national measures, such as tax incentives, loans on specially favourable terms, indirect subsidies, changes to rent law, guidelines in connection with public invitations to tender and the laying down of standards; calls for the 20% target to be translated as quickly as possible into targets for the Member States and for these to be laid down in a legally binding way; recognises that, pursuant to the subsidiarity principle, Member States must, however, be allowed room for manoeuvre in choosing the means they will use;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls on the EU to make greater efforts to increase the share of renewable energies in the electricity sector to 40% by 2020 and to create the conditions for intelligent networks, in order to guarantee increasingly decentralised energy production; stresses that to achieve this, more must be invested in energy infrastructure projects;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Regrets the fact that in the area of energy saving and energy efficiency the EU has to date lagged behind its potential, and calls for specific proposals to be put forward for measures to increase CO2 savings with the help of more energy-efficient buildings; stresses, moreover, that, when calculating CO2 emissions, the whole life cycle of a product must always be taken into account and, above all, that measures designed to achieve more energy-efficient production must be encouraged; stresses that a communication strategy must be developed in order to provide comprehensive information to both businesses and consumers;
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Considers that, while moving to a more ambitious climate target does have primarily a positive impact on job creation, measures should be takenbut calls on the Commission to take appropriate measures to facilitate both structural change and labour-force retraining in communities with a large- scale loss of high carbon employment and also to ensure new growth sectors have sufficient access to appropriately skilled labour;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Concludes that stepping up to a 30% target of more than 20% has more benefits than costs for EU citizens and a domestic achievement of the reduction targets would bring the highest overall benefit;
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Considers that, once the conditions for raising the target are fulfilled, a thorough study has been made of the transition to a 30% target for each Member State and the international community has also accepted this target, no further decision will be needed and the EU should be ready for immediate action;
Amendment 343 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Remains concerned about the large potential for windfall profits undermining public acceptance of the EU’s climate policy and points to lack of evidence of any delocalisation; calls for submission of a new, comprehensive forecast assessing the risk of displacement of CO2 emissions for each Member State;