“Poland’s no to the low-carbon roadmap will not stop Europe from moving on with its transition to a low-carbon economy,” Tweeted Connie Hedegaard after Poland’s veto in a European Council meeting of environment ministers.
Hedegaard also indicated that the strong support of the other 26 EU countries for decarbonisation would allow the EU to move ahead on other climate policy action, including the proposed energy efficiency directive.
Poland, which generates more than 90% of its electricity from coal, voted against indicative emission cut targets of 40 per cent by 2030 from 1990 levels and 60 per cent by 2040, in the run-up to the 80 per cent under the European Commission’s low-carbon roadmap 2050. There is a current reduction target of 20 per cent by 2020.
Poland refused to accept the milestones even after the Danish presidency dropped an increased mid-term target of a 25 per cent reduction by 2020. Poland has previously blocked EU emission cuts.
The UK and other EU countries, as well as many energy companies, favour tougher targets, as a way of spurring investment in greener technology and boosting economies.
“We must redouble our efforts in explaining to Poland that shifting to a low-carbon economy is part of long term growth in Europe,” said UK energy and climate change secretary Ed Davey. “There’ll be no pause in the UK’s efforts to push for a 30 per cent emissions target for 2020, providing the much needed certainty that business needs to invest in the green technologies of the future.”