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You are here : Home > News > Press Releases > February 2005 > Lucien Lux, Luxembourg’s Minister for the Environment and President of the European Union’s "Environment" Council, on the subject of the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol on 16 February 2005
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Press Release
Lucien Lux, Luxembourg’s Minister for the Environment and President of the European Union’s "Environment" Council, on the subject of the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol on 16 February 2005

Date of release : 14-02-2005

Policy area : Environment Environment


On the occasion of the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol on Wednesday, 16 February, Lucien Lux, Luxembourg’s Minister for the Environment and President of the European Union’s "Environment" Council, made the following statement:

"On this Wednesday, 16 February 2005, the Kyoto Protocol will take effect. And thus we begin a new stage in our fight against climate change. For the first time, there is a binding legal limit on greenhouse gas emissions in the industrialised countries. Moreover, all the developed countries that do not intend to ratify the protocol should make comparable efforts.

Climate change is one of the great challenges society faces in the 21st century. It is already a reality! During the past century, the average temperature in the world has already risen by 0.6°C compared to pre-industrial levels. In Europe, the temperature has even increased by 0.9°C. Extreme meteorological events, such as floods, droughts and storms, will become increasingly frequent and intense, thereby endangering water resources, biodiversity and food security.

Scientists agree that climate change is due to greenhouse gas emissions that come from human activities. Thus, temperatures could rise by 1.4°C to 5.8°C by 2100, with harmful impacts on our ecosystems, our economies and humankind.

Climate change is occurring even faster than scientists initially believed. Thus, it has to be slowed and even stopped to curb irreversible impacts. The consequences of inaction are enormous, and it will be increasingly difficult to adapt to climate change. Scientists also believe that the costs of protecting our climate will be ten times lower than the costs of damage caused by climate change if we do not act.

The current euphoria due to the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol should not make us lose sight of the fact that this is simply a first step in our fight. Let us keep in mind that, in the very near future, more drastic decreases in global emissions of greenhouse gases will be necessary.

The new communication by the Commission, "Winning the battle against climate change," in fact makes recommendations to the European Union on the subject of a strategy for after Kyoto (after 2012). The European Union should continue to play a leading role in international efforts to combat climate change. The European Union’s ambition is to increase the involvement of countries in the future in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions using a global approach.

In December 2004, the "Environment" Council set forth the procedure for the European Union:

• The average annual global surface temperature should not exceed pre-industrial era levels by more than 2°C;

• If this long-term objective for temperature is to be achievable, global emissions must reach their high point within the next two decades and then fall off considerably in order to achieve a drop in levels of at least 15% and even perhaps 50% by 2050 compared to levels recorded in 1990;

• This also implies significantly strengthened efforts for lower emissions by the developed countries.

The "Environment" Council emphasised the necessity to propose strategies at its March 2005 session to lower emissions in the medium and long term. The strategies are to include goals as a contribution to the European Council in the spring of 2005.

The Luxembourg Presidency of the European Council will continue its work based on this mandate."



This page was last modified on : 15-02-2005

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