Transcript Environment Council of Ministers, Luxembourg 21 June 2011

Environment Council of
Ministers,
Luxembourg
21 June 2011
•Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Environment
and Climate Change attended as part of UK
delegation with:
–Secretary of State for Energy & Climate
Change, Chris Huhne;
–Secretary of State for Environment, Food
& Rural Affairs, Caroline Spelman
Low Carbon Roadmap
• Discussion around draft text on the
Commission’s Low Carbon Roadmap, and the
2020 target.
• Final version of the Conclusions included an
explicit reference to a 25% target for 2020 and
a commitment to further work to realise this.
• Final vote - Polish delegation rejected the text
and so Council unable to agree conclusions on
higher emissions targets.
Conclusions adopted
• Protection of water resources
• EU biodiversity strategy to 2020
Other topics discussed
• Major accident hazards involving dangerous
substances (the Seveso directive)
• Cultivation of genetically modified organisms
Meetings
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•
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•
Ms Lykke Friss, Minister for Climate and Energy and Minister for
Gender – Mr Stevenson presented the clear evidence from Scotland on the
economic benefits of the low carbon economy.
Slovenian Minister for the Environment, Mr Roko Zarnic - agreed further
collaboration on promoting decentralised energy systems and
community engagement in rural areas; joint work to incentivise soils and
peatlands as carbon sinks in international mechanisms;
Latvian Minister of Environmental Protection, Mr Raimonds Vejonis –
Mr Stevenson set out a clear case for the economic benefits of a 30%
target; agreed to work together to incentivise soils and peatlands as
carbon sinks; agreed on innovative financial mechanisms to support
energy efficiency, which will be the focus of this year’s Scottish Low
Carbon Investment Conference;
Maltese Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs, Mr George Pullicino welcomed his visit to Scotland to see our renewable energy resources in
Orkney and at the Beatrice offshore wind demonstrator during July;
underlined Scotland’s support for the work of the Scottish European Green
Energy Centre in helping Malta realise its own renewable resource.
Next Environment Councils
10 October, Brussels
19 December, Brussels