Resolution on the Union's strategy for the New Delhi Conference on Climate change COP-8, October-November 2002

The Council adopted conclusions on the follow-up to the Eight Conference of the Parties (COP 8) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which took place in New Delhi (India) from 23 October to 1 November 2002. The Council welcomes the progress made in New Delhi on important issues, including the adoption of the New Delhi work programme on education, training and public awareness and on the prompt start of the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol. The Council considers however that the political results of COP8 as inadequate in dealing with the urgent issue of longer-term reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. The Council takes note of the need for further action after 2012 and looks forward to the continuation of the discussions on further action and emphasises that the European Union is determined to continue to lead in the fight against climate change. It also intends to bringing the process on further by building on the promotion of a confidence-building dialogue among Parties at all relevant levels before the next Conference of the Parties, including promotion of informal meetings on this issue. In this context, the Council welcomes the initiative of the Russian Federation to convene a World Climate Change Conference in Moscow from 29 September to 3 October 2003 : the EU looks forward to taking advantage of the conference in order to increase awareness of the importance of international efforts to address climate change. In this context, Council stresses the importance of the Kyoto Protocol as a first and necessary step towards meeting the ultimate objective of the Convention and continues to strongly urge all Parties that have not already done so to ratify the Protocol. Lastly, the Council stresses the role of renewable energy in combating climate change and emphasises its resolve to speed-up the co-operation on this issue.�