Europe’s hardline stance.

EU talks hardline stance at UN climate talks

Fiona Harvey

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/nov/30/europe-hardline-un-climate-talks?CMP=twt_gu

 

This article was tweeted by fed whose excellent blog I can recommend here http://fedindurban2011.blogspot.com/

 

The guardian is rapidly firming as the leader for main stream media coverage of the COP 17 talks and this continues with this article, although Juliet Elperin from the Washington Post is making a solid run for the title.

It suggests that the EU is taking the most hardline stance it has ever held to the Durban talks this year by stating that its ‘dovish’, consensus building, smooth over rough edges and keep everyone happy stance of the past has not worked and that the time has come for a change in position at the Durban talks.  The EU position now is that it demands ‘legal parallelism’.  That is, it will only sign up to a binding second commitment period to the KP of developing countries do likewise, while China is pushing for differentiated agreements – nationally binding or voluntary targets.

Fiona Harvey suggests that this change has come about both due to the Poland holding the EU presidency and as such leading the EU delegation.  Harvey further suggests that the Polish position may come from a relatively high level of climate change scepticism within the polish community.

My thought is that it may also be contributed to by a desire not to lose competitiveness during the Eurozone financial crisis.  Perhaps the EU was happy to take a position of moral leadership while its economy was in good shape but the fear of causing any shock that triggers another credit run out of the EU may well be forcing the hand of the negotiating party.  This might just be the first evidence of the EU domestic  troubles forcing the hand of the negotiating team.  

The ongoing questions are twofold.  How will this changed role for the EU play out in the overall negotiations and will this breathe renewed life into the KP?  I'm not optimistic  - indeed I still think a regional, piecemeal solution will be the eventual outcome - but it is a fascinating development.