Copenhagen climate change conference

Climate change is arguably the biggest single challenge facing mankind and the planet. Experts advise that the Earth is locked into a pattern of rising temperature and sea levels that is almost certainly the result of human activities.

The main cause is the release of greenhouse gases, such as CO₂, into the atmosphere. The climatic effect is proving extreme and unpredictable.

Tackling climate change requires everyone to play their full part – the public sector, energy suppliers, industry and private individuals alike.

The UK food and drink manufacturing sector has made a very good start. It has reduced its CO₂ emissions significantly since 1990. However, given the scale of the challenge, no sector can afford to be complacent. We must all do more.

FDF comments on the Copenhagen Conference

Much of the political, scientific and media focus on climate change is now directed towards the forthcoming Copenhagen Conference in December.

The run up to Copenhagen has been characterised by almost daily commentary and debate on the potential for either a comprehensive political or legally binding agreement, which inevitably is building up in the immediate days running up to the Conference.

Current informed views suggest a final legal treaty will not be reached at Copenhagen, however political progress could lead to such a treaty – possibly in 2010.

Whilst some of the issues that will need to be addressed at Copenhagen may appear somewhat remote from the day to day concerns of FDF members – such as global targets (and the international politics that accompanies their agreement), involvement of developing nations, international climate change funding etc – it is important to recognise that a successful legally binding treaty will have some important implications for food and drink manufacturers.

It will only be possible to understand these impacts once the Conference reaches its conclusions towards a new comprehensive global climate change agreement for 2012 onwards and the European Commission and the UK Government assess and reacts to such an agreement and the impacts it will have on EU and UK climate change policy instruments.

For our members there are two immediate and specific issues to consider in the light of a successful agreement:

Under the EU European Climate Change Programme, the EU targets will increase from 20% to 30% Greenhouse Gas Emissions reduction by 2020 from a 1990 baseline.

This will result in a review of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme involving a tightening of the scheme cap, a review of carbon leakage support and the provision of interim free allocation for installations.

The UK 2008 Climate Change Act established a process for setting five-yearly UK Greenhouse Gas emissions budgets.

Currently the UK is committed to an 'interim' budget of a 34% reduction for the period 2018 – 2022. Upon the conclusion of a successful global agreement the UK will move to an 'intended' budget target of 42% for the same period.

This will have implications for FDF Climate Change Agreement targets, renewables financial incentives and energy prices.

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FDF actions post-Copenhagen

In the aftermath of the Copenhagen conference FDF will focus on lobbing both the UK Government and the European Commission for early clarification on the implications of specific policy instruments that affect members (notably the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, Climate Change Agreements) in order to help inform early business decisions on future low carbon investments.

Working through the FDF Climate Change Working Group, we will prepare appropriate briefing material for members on climate change policy implications and impacts.

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More Information

There are very many sources of information and opinions in the media commentating on the run up to Copenhagen. Two used by FDF include the BBC for tracking the ebb and flow of the debate and, giving a business perspective, the CBI.