World News Blog

Monday, December 01, 2008

WWF urges new EU nations to adopt low carbon economy

New European Union members in Eastern Europe have been hesitant to adopt a low-carbon goals claiming that such a move would have a detrimental impact on their economies.

Ahead of a meeting between these nations at the Poznan forum on climate change in Poland, the World Wildlife Fund asked the new EU members to embrace new technologies and to retire the polluting economy of the past.

EU leaders have agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent in 2020 on 1990 levels; and to have 20 percent of renewables in EU's energy mix and a 20 percent increase in energy efficiency by 2020.

Canada.com

New EU member states urged to approve EU's ambitious climate ...
Xinhua - 1 hour ago
BRUSSELS, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on Monday called on new European Union (EU) member states to reach out for the benefits of low-carbon economy and approve the EU's ambitious climate change policies.
Climate change effort opens in Poland United Press International
International Climate Change Forum Opens in Poland Voice of America

Labels: climate change, european union, green house gases, green technology, poznan conference

Monday, October 27, 2008

China is joining Europe in calling for tight international regulation of the global financial markets.

According to witnesses of closed-door talks at the Asia-Europe Meeting in Beijing, China agreed that stricter oversight is needed to prevent future market meltdowns.

"The crisis has fully revealed some defects in the current international financial system The international community has demanded reforms and the establishment of a fair and efficient international financial system," Premier Wen Jiabao said on Saturday.

Voice of America

China Backs Europe's Push for Oversight
Wall Street Journal - 1 hour ago
By IAN JOHNSON BEIJING -- After several days of talks between European and Asian leaders, China apparently has allied itself with Europe in calling for a vigorous system of international regulation.
Wen calls for restructuring of global system China Daily
World leaders pledge financial reform as gloom deepens AFP

Labels: asem, asia-europe meeting, china, european union, international financial regulation

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Sarkozy, Barroso call for action at European Parliament

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso pushed for prompt action to the financial crisis at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday.

Sarkozy is calling for a European Union summit ahead of global talks to address the problem.

BBC News

HIGHLIGHTS-France's Sarkozy at European Parliament
Reuters - 1 hour ago
STRASBOURG, France, Oct 21 (Reuters) - The following are comments by French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday.
Sarkozy: Europe should consider sovereign funds International Herald Tribune
Sarkozy calls for EU summit ahead of global finance talks AFP

Labels: european parliament, european union, financial crisis, jose manual barroso, nicolas sarkozy

Friday, October 17, 2008

UN climate change chief worried about EU committment

Yvo de Boer, the secretary general of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, is worried that the European Union nations may miss deadlines on emission cuts.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said, at an EU summit, that the group was still targeting greenhouse gas emissions reductions of at least 20 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. However, the bloc appears to have changed its position on coming up with a detailed plan by the end of this year.

Canada.com

UN climate chief concerned at EU disarray
International Herald Tribune - 2 hours ago
AP AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: The UN climate chief says he is concerned the European Union may miss its self-assigned deadline on a climate change policy.
European Nations Seek to Revise Agreement on Emissions Cuts New York Times
UN fears for Europe's climate plan The Press Association

Labels: carbon emissions, climate change, european union, united nations

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Germany backs bank deposits

Shortly after its largest bailout in history, Germany guaranteed bank deposits for its citizens in a further attempt to address the credit crunch crisis.

Last week, Ireland and Greece backed bank deposits, and the UK raised its insurance cap from 35,000 pounds to 50,000 (US $88,400).

French President Nicolas Sarkozy in which Germany, France, Italy and the U.K. is working on a unified European Union response to the problem

Times Online

Germany guarantees private deposits
MarketWatch - 57 minutes ago

By Steve Goldstein, MarketWatch LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Germany became the latest, and by far the biggest, European country to explicitly guarantee the deposits in banks held by their citizens, in a move announced Sunday.

Hypo Real Gets EU50 Billion Government-Led Bailout (Update1) Bloomberg
Germany Moves to Shore Up Confidence in Economy New York Times