13/03/08 Greenpeace-EU summit should raise climate stakes

With climate concerns at the top of the spring summit agenda, EU leaders meeting in Brussels over the next two days should increase their ambition to fight climate change, said Greenpeace in a statement.

Greenpeace calls for leaders to take the necessary steps to adequately cut greenhouse gas emissions now, or force future generations to bear the full brunt of climate change impacts. "We are heading for a climate crisis unless EU leaders pull their socks up and address the challenge by reducing Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2020. The EU recognises that scientific evidence on this is unequivocal: the proposed 20% reduction is way short of the mark," said Mahi Sideridou, Greenpeace EU climate and energy policy director.

Following the publication of an EU report examining the effects of climate change on European security, Greenpeace also warned against dangerous distractions in the fight against climate change. "Competition for dwindling natural resources, climate migrations, conflicts and humanitarian disasters are all very real dangers. But EU leaders must act now to embrace ambitious policies to prevent the worst effects of climate change instead of treating the symptoms once the damage has been done," said Sideridou.