Special Report: Fight against Global Warming

    BALI, Indonesia, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- The European Parliament (EP) Saturday welcomed the Bali roadmap, describing it as "the beginning of a process", which will lead cooperation to, and beyond, 2012, with a global agreement to be reached by 2009.

    Moreover, it applauds the Kyoto signatories' decision to recognize the target of a 25-40 percent cut in greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions by 2020 (compared to 1990 levels), as noted in the Fourth Assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

    Important concessions have been made in comparison to the Parliament's resolution. But none of them undermine the principles underlying the EP position, said a joint statement issued here on Saturday by European Parliament Vice President Alejo Vidal Quadras and Climate Change Committee Chairman Guido Sacconi on behalf of the EP's delegation to the Bali conference.

    "It is important to say, in this context, that the range of the required emissions reductions has been clearly placed within the framework of the IPCC report. We also consider important the fact that all the Parties will be involved in the process, thus overcoming the rigid distinction between Annex I (industrial) and non-Annex I Parties".

    The statement was issued following the approval of the Bali roadmap by the plenary session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

    "We would also like to stress that the decision clearly identifies the issues to be tackled during the process starting in Bali: mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer and the corresponding necessary financial assistance. This is very important from our point of view, as is the decision to start pilot projects in the area of deforestation."

    The European Parliament will be legislating, in the years to come, on decisions that emerge from the Bali roadmap process.

    In light of these decisions, Europe is now called upon to show even more responsibility, to confirm its leadership role, and to underline its commitment to tackling climate change. The Parliament, for its part, will help lead the way by legislating on the instruments necessary to achieve the targets established by the Spring Council in March 2007: to achieve, at the very least, a20 percent reduction of GHG emissions by 2020.

    "We are also pleased that the attitude of the U.S. administration has evolved over the last few years from a reluctance to enter into negotiations to, as is now the case, specific commitments. The agreement reached at Bali is the beginning of a process. Bearing that in mind, we hope no, we expect that in the very near future the U.S. will join Europe in adopting the sort of ambitious emission targets, for which we have fought throughout."