The EU agreement on climate Polish law AAU emission units defended

EU environment ministers agreed on climate policy. The EU is ready for a global UN summit - is a common position that will allow for negotiations in December and persuading other countries to engage in global climate protection. At the same time takes into account an agreement Polish demands. Take full advantage of all the units and the sale of greenhouse gas emissions, so-called. AAU, after 2012, for Polish is a possibility of further greening, that is, investments in energy saving and environmental protection, which so far have earned 700 million zł. - After all-day negotiations have reached a compromise. We adopted a mandate to open negotiations in Doha, which takes into account the Polish position, according to which we wanted to preserve our right to freely dispose of the emissions reductions achieved under the Kyoto Protocol - Korolec minister admits.

In Luxembourg, the EU Council ended with the Environment Minister Martin Korolec. The Polish key issues were: to establish a common EU position on the global UN climate summit in Qatar in December this year, and decisions as to the second period of the Kyoto Protocol after 2012. One of the important conditions for Polish trade was to maintain the possibility of global emissions units, so-called. AAU. Thanks conducted with the use of green areas, Poland has already zł 700 million for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as schools and hospitals warming.

Able to transfer and use of surplus AAUs provide current provisions of the Kyoto Protocol. Adopted conclusions allow the use of that capital allowances after 2012, describe the conditions that must be met to use the AAU mobilized to further reduce CO ₂ is not adversely affected as climate protection in the EU and beyond.

Another forum for discussion of the use of AAUs after 2012 will be a peak in Qatar. If the provisions of this part of the commitments of the Kyoto Protocol will not change, the rules and the possibility of selling the surplus AAUs will remain unchanged.

As emphasized by Minister Korolec, a positive result definitely influenced arrangements co-ordination of the Visegrad Group countries including Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Latvia, led by Poland.

As pointed out in the commentary to the meeting concluded Minister Martin Korolec:

- Poland has consistently calls on the EU forum for pursuing fair and effective climate policy, based on an analysis of the cost for each member country - because they vary greatly. We emphasize that the European Union's efforts should now be focused on how to best support global negotiation process under the aegis of the UN, because only conducted globally and severally, climate policy is likely to be effective. Conclusions developed today demonstrate that our efforts bring positive results. We achieved two main objectives: a common position on the UN Climate Change Conference and the Union's position is not threatening the possibility of using the greening of AAUs Polish.

In detail, the EU position for the UN Climate Conference in Qatar, Doha (26 November - 7 December), the negotiating instructions for the representatives of the European Union in the global climate summit shows The EU preferred duration of the second period of the Kyoto Protocol. According to the ministers, it should last from 2013 to 2020 - for 8 years. This is consistent with the period of the European climate package - energy. We avoid the legal gaps that would appear if the second period of the Protocol would take only five years to 2017, the new global agreement will come into force only from 2020

Korolec Minister of Luxembourg also had the opportunity to talk to ministers about the Polish candidate to host the UN Climate Conference in 2013, Poland intends to use this opportunity to strengthen the Polish position on climate policy and to support the UN global negotiations. Korolec Minister also reminded that Poland had already hosted the UN Climate Change Conference. In 2008, in Poznan hosted more than 10 thousand. delegates from around the world. The summit was widely regarded as a successful organization and has established itself as the best prepared of the climate summit in the history of the process.

The ministers were also unanimous in their conclusion of this year's Summit on Sustainable Development, Rio +20, which took place in June of this year. The adopted conclusions stressed that EU Member States will continue to support the development of this process, in particular the work on the so-called reconciliation. objectives of sustainable development (Sustainable Develompment Goals, SDGs). More (in English): Conclusions on Rio +20: Outcome and follow-up to the UNCSD 2012 Summit.

The debate was devoted much attention to the planned changes in the recycling of ships. Discussed the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council, to prevent the dismantling harmful effects on human health and the environment (especially in South Asia). Pre-draft regulation provides for: non-hazardous materials the installation on board, the establishment of the list of the ship hazardous materials, the duty of ship recycling facilities safer and cleaner scrapping the obligation to draw up a plan of ship dismantling facility and ship recycling plan, issuance of certificates of compliance with the relevant requirements of recycling. Ministers discussed include on the entry into force of the regulation (such as trying to determine whether the time of entry into force of the Regulation is to coincide with the entry into force of the Convention to Hong Kong. This is the first international convention on ship scrapping adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 2009 .). Poland supports this work, but points out that they can not affect the reduction in the competitiveness of European ports. Poland also supports the idea of ​​a financial incentive to keep the flag of a Member State of the EU prior to recycling (reduce the risk of escape from the obligations to legitimate recycling by changing the European flag on non-European).

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The current Minister Martin Korolec comments - feel free to follow entries: https://twitter.com/MarcinKorolec

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More about AAU:

Poland has committed itself under the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent., And reached 30 percent. reduced - hence the surplus units that can now be sold to countries where they are missing (so-called AAUs). Able to transfer and use of surplus AAUs beyond 2012, provide current provisions of the Kyoto Protocol. At the UN Climate Change Conference in Doha in December this year to be decided on the adoption of amendments to the Kyoto Protocol, extending its validity (the second period). Amendments to the Protocol will apply to determine the emission reduction targets after 2012 (the year 2020). Here, an important decision will cover such conditions express written permission to report emissions cap for the EU and the Member States for the second commitment period in 2013-2020 (ie QELRO) and a forward written agreement on behalf of the EU. The problem is to determine how the EU member states will announce their percentage limit greenhouse gas reduction - only the Union has defined a common reduction target (in the climate and energy package specified as 20 percent. Reduction). It is therefore shared goals between the Member States (the so-called burden sharing), as was the case in the EU-15 in the first commitment period of 2008-2012.

Poland points out that unused assigned amount units (AAUs) from the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol is the result of a real, national emission reduction commitments in excess. The allegation that the surplus was only due to the collapse of many carbon intensive industries and decline in industrial production is detrimental to the Polish. Since the economic crisis at the turn of the 80 - and 90-s Polish gross domestic product more than doubled, while maintaining it significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions - is an example of decoupling economic growth from increased pressure on the environment. AAU for the Polish capital is accumulated, it is not So we can agree to the challenge and prevent the transfer of surplus to the next whole period of the Kyoto Protocol or a new global agreement - Minister stresses Korolec.

Polish law provides that all revenues from the sale of AAUs is intended to finance projects related to climate change and the environment (Green Investment System, or vegetated). Thanks to our own share of financial, environmental effect multiplies the investment.

Poland leads greening since 2009 Money manages the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management as a national Green Investment System Operator. Poland gathered so far on proklimatyczne 170 million investment by signing eight agreements, the last of Spain, 4 October 2012, Poland still negotiating with interested partners AAU transactions.

Greening the ecological fund investments in Poland for climate protection money. This action and investments in Poland, which support the development of green economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Greening applies to such projects as building insulation and energy saving in public buildings such as schools, kindergartens and hospitals, support the production of clean energy from renewable sources (agricultural biogas plants, the construction of the power plant and a biomass heating plant and connecting fans to the grid) . The "greening" already financed include: projects in the field of thermal Grand Theatre - National Opera in Warsaw (which has a scene of the opera world's largest), Royal Baths and the National Library, but also a number of schools, kindergartens, clinics and hospitals throughout the country. Such projects include not only the insulation of buildings and replacement of windows, but most of the modernization of the heating system, boiler and installation of renewable energy and energy-efficient lighting systems.