Poland leads charge against EU Emissions Trading Scheme

European politicians are being distracted from the battle against climate change by national interests and the need to save our European economy from collapse. Governments across Eastern Europe are concerned at having to rely on Russian gas imports after Russia’s aggression in Georgia. European taxpayers are worried about keeping their jobs and maintaining their standard of living. The heating up of the planet is, for the moment, off the political agenda. Consequently, politicians across Europe are seeking to water down their commitment, under the EU emissions trading scheme, to cut emissions levels by 20 per cent (from the levels that prevailed in 1990) by 2020.

Six EU member states have signed a declaration warning that the EU emissions target will cause a “significant increase” in Europe's reliance on imported gas. Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece have all witnessed Russia use the energy weapon against the Ukraine. Russia has increased gas prices massively, for her former colony, in order to apply political pressure. The signatories of this declaration have taken note. They do not want to increase their dependence on Russian energy because this will give Russia greater political power over them. Consequently, Poland, soon to be home to America’s missile defensive shield and reliant on coal to produce 90 per cent of its electricity, is leading the case for a review of this target. A target agreed only eighteen months ago. It needs 91 of the 345 votes on the EU Council to delay the EU emissions trading scheme. The Polish Government say they have them. Thereby, it seems this regulation will not be introduced for some time.

EU consumers should welcome any legitimate measure which delays or defeats the implementation of the EU emissions trading scheme. Consumers are already struggling with rising prices without the EU applying more pressure by increasing power costs to facilitate a green conversion. Climate change may be a serious problem. Action to deal with it is warranted. However, European politicians should be aware that measures that increase the burden on hard working families will not be appreciated at this time. The security and prosperity of Europeans is, at the moment, more pressing to many of Europe’s citizens and her national politicians than the increase in the global temperature.

Comments

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with tax intensive to produce in a clean way clean products aimed at all the cost zones there seems to be so little cheap clean alternatives, after all there are far more low income people on this world with mass take up of clean product there are your targets exceeded, things like the holder for low energy bulbs, how much of the cost of these are in the base of the bulb sell them separately and they are much cheaper, segmental low energy bulbs for dimmer function at a cheap price, things our government should be investing in, with potential for world market place, bringing money in to this economy instead of selling of every thing they can get there hands on. building a profitable economy and a happy low tax people.