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Green Growth Group Statement
18 December 2014
2030 Energy & Climate Policy Framework:
1. We welcome the decision of the European Council to endorse an ambitious domestic
GHG target as well as renewables and energy efficiency targets from 2020 to 2030 and
its firm support for ETS reform with a market stability reserve as well as to speed up
energy interconnections. This is an important step towards decarbonisation of our
economies in the period up to 2050 and sends a strong signal to the UNFCCC process
well in advance of the global climate conference to take place in Paris in 2015 (COP21).
2. We recognise the important role of renewable energy, energy efficiency and other safe
and sustainable low carbon technologies in meeting the EU 2030 targets and broader EU
energy policy objectives cost-effectively, and welcome the planned review of the energy
efficiency target by 2020, as is stated in the conclusions.
3. We are convinced that the 2030 Climate and Energy Framework should bring multiple
benefits to all EU countries and be critical to realizing the new Commission’s strategy to
deliver high-quality jobs, sustainable growth, competitiveness and investment across the
EU.
Urgent EU ETS Reform & the Market Stability Reserve:
4. A well-functioning EU ETS will be critical to delivering the EU’s agreed GHG target. To
urgently restore the effectiveness of the EU ETS, we call on the Council and the
European Parliament to swiftly adopt an ambitious Market Stability Reserve, in order
to provide certainty to business and investors. Moreover, a clear majority of GGG
members already support the introduction of the Market Stability Reserve in the year
2017 and transfer of the backloaded amounts into the reserve. This should be factored
in to the volume of greenhouse gas emission allowances to be auctioned in 2013-2020.
Other measures will need to be taken, as agreed on by the European Council on October
23rd 2014, to ensure an effective Emissions Trading System after 2020. The Council
should seek to agree its initial position on the MSR as soon as possible.
5. The European Commission should address carbon leakage concerns as part of the
phase IV legislative reforms of the EU ETS, to ensure appropriate forms of support are
provided for those sectors at risk of losing international competitiveness due to EU
climate policy.
Early Implementation of the 2030 GHG Target:
6. We call on the new Commission to start rapidly with work on the implementation of
the new and existing legislation related to the 2020 and the 2030 climate and energy
framework. This must include measures to enact the European Council’s strategic
orientations regarding the EU ETS to 2030, effort sharing for the non-ETS sectors until
2030, as well as consideration of LULUCF, tackling emissions from the transport sector
and ensuring a strong but flexible and cost-effective governance framework which can
ensure all the EU’s climate and energy policy goals are met. The Commission should
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consult with Member States and other stakeholders on the basis of draft proposals on
ETS and Effort Share as soon as practically possible, starting in 2015.
The New Commission’s Work Programme:
7. We welcome the Commission’s commitment to this agenda so far. We wish to underline
the great importance of maintaining climate, sustainability and green growth as a top
political priority in the EU’s future activities.
8. In particular, we call on the new Commission to integrate Europe’s climate, energy and
green growth objectives, including the 2020 and 2030 Climate and Energy Framework,
as a core priority within the new Vice Presidential Structure and horizontally across the
Commission and its future Work Programme to ensure that:
It responds to the scale of Europe’s renewables and energy efficiency and safe
and sustainable low carbon energy investment challenges as well as to the need
to complete and interconnect the internal energy market, and promotes the
substantial growth opportunities that will arise as this investment is unlocked.
Mobilising substantial private sector investment in this sector should be a
priority as the Commission implements its jobs, growth and investment
package.

The EU strengthens its leading role in tackling climate change ahead of UNFCCC
COP21 via ambitious climate action within Europe, promoting global action and
carbon pricing and by working tirelessly to help deliver a robust global climate
agreement that will keep global warming below two degrees. We call on the
European Commission and all Member States to swiftly elaborate the details
of the EU’s intended nationally determined contribution so that it can be
communicated to the UNFCCC Parties by March 2015.

We should be ready to consider raising the ambition of the GHG reduction
target and the level of EU action, including through the use of international
carbon market mechanisms, in the context of securing an ambitious, global and
comprehensive international climate agreement at the Paris Conference.

GHG emission reductions and enhancing energy security are delivered by
mutually reinforcing action – the emphasis must be on exploiting the synergies
between the two, without compromising long-term climate objectives with
energy security measures.
9. We look forward to working constructively across the Commission, Council and
Parliament to ensure these principles are fully reflected in the implementation of the
Commission’s forthcoming political and legislative programme.
Signed by:Marie-Christine Marghem
Federal Minister of Energy, Environment and
Sustainable Development
BELGIUM
Céline Fremault
Brussels Ministers of Environment, Energy,
Housing and Quality of Life
BELGIUM
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Mr Mati Raidma
Minister of Environment
ESTONIA
Ms Tine Sundtoft
Minister for Climate and Environment
NORWAY
Rasmus Helveg Petersen
Minister for Energy, Climate & Buildings
DENMARK
Jorge Moreira da Silva
Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and
Energy
PORTUGAL
Ms Sanni Grahn-Laasonen
Minister of the Environment
FINLAND
Ségolène Royal
Minister for Ecology, Sustainable
Development and Energy
FRANCE
Barbara Hendricks
Federal Environment Minister
GERMANY
Gian Luca Galletti
Minister of the Environment, Land and Sea
ITALY
Mrs Carole Dieschbourg
Minister for Environment
LUXEMBOURG
Wilma Mansveld
Minister for the Environment
NETHERLANDS
Ms Irena Majcen
Minister of the Environment & Spatial
Planning
SLOVENIA
Isabel García Tejerina
Minister of Agriculture, Food and the
Environment
SPAIN
Åsa Romson
Minister of Climate and the Environment
SWEDEN
Rt Hon Edward Davey MP
Secretary of State for Energy & Climate
Change
UNITED KINGDOM