Polityka klimatyczna Unii Europejskiej a kryzys w strefie euro – wybrane problemy

The aim of the article is a synthetic presentation of selected issues connected with the implementation and/or sharpening of the climate policy in the context of the financial crisis in the EU. In the first part of the article the author reviews the core of the climate and energy package established in December 2008, which includes a modification of the European Union Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading Scheme (EU-ETS), the aims of the limitation of CO2 emission by the member states in the sectors not covered by the ETS, legal framework for eco-friendly capture and storage of CO2 (CCS technology), valid targets regarding the exploitation of renewable energy and the regulations of the vehicle CO2 emissions. The results of the European Commission’s analysis referring to the effects of the 20% and 30% reduction plans up to 2020 are also presented. The further part of the article demonstrates the efforts made by the EU on the topic of climate protection in the context of the economic crisis, which has not stopped the ambitious projects of the EU towards climate protection. These efforts are connected with energy security, especially low emission economy methods and the role of efficient energy use. Some positive results of the EU’s ambitious climate policy for Poland have also been taken into account. The third part of the article shows some aspects of the EU’s activity in the process of negotiating a new international regime that would replace the Kyoto Protocol. The Union’s position indicated that the new system should include consecutive unconditional obligations for developed countries concerning the reduction of greenhouse gas emission in all of the sectors of the economy. The EU committed to cutting the emission by 30% if other developed countries would do it on a comparable level and also on condition that appropriate input from the developing countries is provided, dependent on their share in emissions and their capabilities. The Union’s representatives also suggested that the group of developed countries reduced their emissions in accordance with the goal assuming a decrease of global temperature up to 2 centigrade in relation to the level from before the industrialization.