“It is very good that the European Commission is serious on the principle ‘energy efficiency first’. Energy efficiency is the cost-efficient part of climate mitigation. In the past few years, we spent one billion euros per day on importing fossil fuels. That money should be better spent to our local craftsmen and industry.” This is how Liese as Coordinator in the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety for the biggest group in the European Parliament, the Christ-democratic EPP, reacted on the proposals of the European Commission, the so-called Winter Package. The Commission proposes to raise the energy efficiency target for 2030 to 30%, besides many other proposals on the future of EU energy and climate policy. The Commission also proposes to extend the main elements of the energy efficiency Directive to 2030 and beyond.
Today the European Commission held a fundamental discussion about the regulation of the energy consumption of different electronic devices. They declared the European Union will focus on products with large energy saving potentials and whose regulations won’t be restrictive for the consumer. Strongly criticized ideas, such as the regulation of the energy consumption of toasters, coffee machines (and showerheads as well as water taps), are ultimately set off the agenda.
Read more: No EU-regulations for toasters, coffee machines and showerheads
„The representatives of the 200 states attending the climate conference in Morocco will leave the President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, out in the rain.” This is the résumé of Peter Liese, MEP, Coordinator in the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety for the biggest group in the European Parliament (EPP/Christian Democrats), after his return from Marrakesh. “Of course, the election of Donald Trump has been a shock for everybody working hard on climate protection but in Marrakesh all the attendants pointed out, that there will not be a change in our climate policies. Especially important for that was the statement of the Chinese Minister for the Environment. To China, climate protection is not only a moral obligation, but also an economic chance. Earlier the United States and China tried to impede our climate policies, but from now on it will be only the President of the United States whom we will have to face protecting our environment”, concluded Liese.
The 39th Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has adopted for the first time ever a decision to curb CO2 emissions from aviation. “This is historic, but unambitious“, commented Peter Liese (EPP), EP rapporteur on the inclusion of aviation in the EU ETS and the „stop-the-clock-decision“.
Read more: European Parliament disappointed about global climate protection agreement for aviation