Climate change

Climate Change is one of the greatest challenges facing planet earth. It is an international problem that requires an international response. Europe United believes the EU must lead from the front in spearheading that response.

We recognise that mitigating, and adapting to, climate change requires team effort.

We consider adaptation to climate change to be a crucial response to flooding and water scarcity.

We support existing EU measures such as:

o The Emissions Trading Scheme.
o Measures to promote carbon capture and sequestration
o Cutting of emissions from vehicles
o Promotion of renewable energies

Europe United believes the European Union must do its utmost to meet the CO2 targets for 2020. We also recognise the need to address the emissions of greenhouse gases other than CO2, such as nitrous oxide and methane.

Europe United strongly supports innovative ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. One such approach would be to adopt differentiated tax systems whereby heavy polluting companies would be taxed more than green enterprises. This would require unannounced and frequent controls of industrial sites. The proceeds from the heavier polluting companies should then be channelled to promote research in alternative technologies and environmental research.

Europe United believes that the effective implementation of international agreements is of the utmost importance and that this can only be achieved by working with international partners to understand and overcome the barriers to the introduction of effective climate change measures in those countries.

It must be understood that climate change can only really be tackled with widespread public support and understanding. As a pan-European party, we are in a unique position to work on this across the EU and to develop best practice internationally.