Scotland Europa - Climate change

Climate Change

2010 sees a new European Commission Directorate-General for Climate Action established, under the leadership of the Union's first ever Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard. This change to the EU institutional resources for climate change testifies to the continuing importance of this issue among EU policy priorities.

Scotland is uniquely well placed to contribute to the EU climate change agenda and Scotland Europa continues to facilitate direct engagement of our members with EU policy-makers.

We ensure our members are aware of, and benefit from, key opportunities presented by the EU climate change strategy. 2010 will see our work focus in particular on the following:

• International negotiations for a comprehensive climate change agreement will continue in the framework of the UN climate process, following failure to make a global deal at the 2009 Copenhagen climate conference. As we move towards the next global UN conference in Mexico at the end of 2010, the EU will look to redefine its strategy for talks at the global level, looking particularly to win back influence on climate change.
• The new Climate Action Directorate-General will focus on mainstreaming climate change in all EU policies over the coming years. Linked to this will be a more comprehensive and concrete EU strategy on adaptation to climate change.
• Climate policy is also set to focus on the transport sector over the next year, with the publication of a transport and climate change package of measures. This will likely seek to set a CO2 pricing system which internalises the external, climate‐related costs of transport. Shipping emissions will also be addressed in the package, in addition to road transport.

For more information contact: Karen Burt

Further information:

European Commission – DG Environment pages on climate change
European Commission – DG Energy pages on low-carbon technologies
European Commission – DG Environment pages on industrial emissions
United Nations - framework convention on climate change