During the plenary session (16-19 December 2019) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on the outcome of the 25th Conference of the Parties (COP25) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which took place in Madrid. Statements by Tytti TUPPURAINEN, Frans TIMMERMANS, Peter LIESE (EPP, DE), Jytte GUTELAND (S&D, SE), Nils TORVALDS (RE, FI), Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL) and Mick WALLACE (GUE/NGL, IE).

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

EICKHOUT, Bas (Greens/EFA, NL)

GUTELAND, Jytte (S&D, SE)

TIMMERMANS, Frans (NL)

TORVALDS, Nils (Renew, FI)

LIESE, Peter (EPP, DE)

fight against climate change (T)

WALLACE, Mick (IE)

TUPPURAINEN, Tytti (FI)

COP 25 (T)

Outcome of the COP 25: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Tytti TUPPURAINEN, In front of this climate emergency, the one this Parliament declared last month, we had to change our approach dramatically and embrace the Green Revolution. Our objective being to make Europe the first climate neutral continent on the planet by 2050. Indeed, during these two weeks of negotiations, it became increasingly clear that there was an elephant in the room. Ambition, which was not on the agenda of this COP, turned out to be a major issue. A number of parties, together with NGO's, the youth with a GretaThunberg and the public at large, in their thousands in the streets of Madrid, called on the COP to do more to address the climate emergency. Here, I salute our team of negotiators who spare no effort and work literally 24/7 to achieve the best possible results. Their task was made extremely difficult because a small number of parties either refused to engage or insisted on mechanisms under Article 6, that could potentially be the death knell of the Paris agreement.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President-designate, European Green Deal, We cannot afford to leave anyone behind at the COP in Madrid Europe showed solidarity with the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change. We must make sure that we help the most vulnerable in their climate efforts so that they are taken along in this effort. That they have the capacity to deal with the changes so they find courage and hope in a better, sustainable future. You know, nothing makes such an impression as to talking representatives from countries that can quite literally disappear if we don't do anything about climate change.

SOUNDBITE (German), Peter LIESE (EPP, DE), Faced with the urgent need for action and the expectations, our citizens, particularly young citizens, obviously, it was a great disappointment to see what happened in Madrid, particularly on Article 6. It would have been good for us to have got a good outcome. The delegation from the European Parliament has always said to the council and the commission that it is better to have no deal Article 6 than a bad deal, because we run the risk that we will drop back after the Paris agreement.

SOUNDBITE (Swedish), Jytte GUTELAND (S&amp;D, SE), We went to Madrid with the highest expectations and with a strong political message from the European Parliament. At least those who are in that delegation. But unfortunately, with hindsight, as with previous speakers, I have to agree that despite the hosting by Spain in Madrid, we didn't have any delivery that we expect and citizens expect on those ambitions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nils TORVALDS (RE, FI), After after coming back from from Madrid I tried to quantify what was actually at stake. A report from the U.S. Department of Energy says that the amount of allowances, ration allowances is about 884 million tons. The same amount is probably in China. So had we given in during the negotiations, there wouldn't have been any policy left. So we did the thing we had to do.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), Will this have repercussions for the trade deal that is on the table MERCOSUR ? We all know it will not pass anyhow, there are already countries saying that they will vote against. So this is also the moment to really become serious about sustainability demands within our trade deals and Mercosur should be the first.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mick WALLACE (GUE/NGL, IE), We're making very little progress. Thanks to rightwing and liberal major economies Canada, USA, Australia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia have left a lot to be desired. They are preventing us from even reiterating the requirements of the Paris agreement in the COP conclusions that we need to boost our efforts before next year. It's a sad affair. The run up to COP 25 we were negotiating and celebrating the idea of a trade deal with the Mercosur countries, which is toxic ! And the idea that climate diplomacy is going to be an effective tool is a myth by what we have seen. Mr Timmermans. You have a big job at hand and you will need to get your pal Phil Hogan on board as well. Good luck with that one.