22/11/2005
- Brussels, Belgium - Five WWF “Climate Witnesses” from
the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain descended on Brussels to
tell their personal stories of how climate change is affecting
their lives and businesses. Snow disappearing in Scotland,
fewer bees in Italy, crop losses in Spain, forests on the
decline in Germany and sea levels rising off the coast of
England are dangerous signs of climate change in Europe.
One week before the beginning
of the 11th Conference of the Parties to the UN Climate
Change Convention and the first Meeting of the Parties
to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP), WWF’s Climate Witnesses
highlighted these impacts and asked the EU to drastically
cut greenhouse gas emissions in Europe.
“In order to be credible at a global
level, the EU should first of all meet its commitments
under the Kyoto Protocol and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by 8 per cent by 2012 domestically. This is a goal that
can be achieved with a stronger Emissions Trading Scheme
which would provide incentives to drive the power sector
– the world’s single largest CO2 polluter – towards a
cleaner future as well as deeper CO2 cuts after 2012”,
said Stephan Singer, Head of the European Climate and
Energy Policy Unit at WWF.
“The citizens expect to see real action from the EU because
climate change is already a reality in their daily life”.
Georg Sperber, a 72 year-old forester
from Germany, explained the dramatic consequences of higher
temperatures for spruce trees in the “Steigerwald” forest
in Bavaria. Such trees are the backbone of the German
forest industry, but they are suffering more and more
from attacks of bark beetle populations which are putting
their future at risk.
Cassian Garbett, 45, the last permanent
resident in one of the five coastguard cottages near Seaford,
on the South coast of England, has witnessed rising sea
levels and greater frequency of storms. Extreme weather
has destroyed sea defences built up by the army during
the war.
Alan Stewart, 49, runs a sled dog
centre in Scotland but his business is facing the threat
of increasing temperatures and disappearing snow. This
has also resulted in Siberian huskies moulting in the
middle of the winter.
Giuseppe Miranti, a 26-year old beekeeper
from Italy, said that because of warmer temperatures,
flowers are blooming at unusual times, which makes the
bees change their behaviour and reduce their activity.
Stronger attacks from parasites also undermine the production
of honey.
José Luis Oliveros Zafra, a
46-year old Spanish farmer, lost 100 per cent of his leguminous
and cereal crops because of this summers’ devastating
droughts. As the weather becomes less predictable, agriculture
in Spain becomes more difficult.
At a press conference hosted by the European Commission,
EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas welcomed this
campaign by WWF. Mr. Dimas said:
“The personal experiences of these ‘climate witnesses’
is a striking reminder that climate change is not just
a potential problem somewhere far in the future. It is
indeed happening here and now and is affecting the daily
lives of our citizens. It is for this reason that the
European Union must continue to lead the global fight
against climate change. The European climate change programme
features over 30 efficient measures to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions to help meet our Kyoto target. These measures
include the world’s first international scheme for trading
in greenhouse gas emissions. But we will also work hard
to convince our international partners of the need for
speedy and effective action. In this context, I look forward
to the Montreal talks starting next week where. I will
be pushing for international negotiations to start on
drawing up a global climate regime for the period after
2012, when the Kyoto targets will expire”.
NOTES:
• The first meeting of the Parties
to the Kyoto Protocol in conjunction with the 11th session
of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Climate Change
Convention will take place in Montreal from 28 November
to 9 December 2005. It is the first COP since the entry
into force of the Kyoto Protocol. WWF asks that Governments
start negotiations to set commitments for further reducing
greenhouse gas emissions after 2012.
• The EU Emissions Trading Scheme
(ETS) is the world’s most important international policy
to drive fundamental reform in the power sector. It covers
46 per cent of Europe’s CO2 emissions - 15.5 per cent
of global emissions from the combustion of carbon. Having
entered into force on 1st January 2005, the ETS is now
about to enter its second phase. Negotiations for national
caps for the period 2008-2012 are starting now. WWF wants
the ETS to be strengthened in its second phase through
stricter CO2 caps in all national allocation plans. Also,
no more than 90 per cent of allowances should be freely
allocated by governments, and the remaining 10 per cent
should be purchased by companies through an auctioning
system.
• WWF has set up the Climate
Witness programme to give a voice to people and communities
affected by climate change. Other than Europe, WWF’s Climate
Witnesses are in Fiji, Australia, India, Nepal and Argentina.
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