A new initiative to persuade Europe to cut its emissions by 30% by 2020 was laun ...

A new initiative to persuade Europe to cut its emissions by 30% by 2020 was launched last month by the UK, Germany and France. In an article published simultaneously in three countries, the countries’ Climate Change Ministers Chris Huhne, Jean-Louis Borloo and Dr Norbert Röttgen, set out the economic benefits for increasing Europe’s climate change targets. The current European target is for the European Union (EU) to cut emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2020. Commenting on the initiative to increase the target to 30%, UK Energy and Climate Secretary, Chris Huhne, warned: ‘The current 20% target is not sufficient to encourage companies to make the necessary investment in green technologies and green jobs. The ‘wait and see’ policy of sticking to 20% risks putting Europe in the global slow lane of maximising low carbon economic opportunities.’