On the occasion of the UNFCCC Climate Change Talks, taking place in Bonn, Germany from 31 May to 11 June 2010, the President of the European People’s Party (EPP) Wilfried Martens expressed his hope for concrete steps forward.

“After the difficult negotiations in Copenhagen last December, I hope that the talks in Bonn will give the world a realistic chance for a concrete result in Cancun, Mexico at the end of this year. The EPP remains firmly committed to the EU reduction goals. Although everybody is at the moment focused on the economic and financial crisis, the challenge of climate change has not become less important,” the EPP President underlined.

“This April has been the warmest April ever measured – this shows that the warming continues and its speed increases. We need to decarbonize our economies – also for the sake of energy security and in order to create new jobs in innovative technologies. If we will not do this, it will not only endanger the climate but also the future of the European economy,” Martens said.

The Chairman of the EPP Working Group on Climate Change, Karl Heinz Florenz MEP, added that Copenhagen mainly failed because of a lack of trust between developing countries and the industrialized world:

“The negotiations in the coming months will be crucial to build this trust in order to achieve a good result in Cancun. Climate change is a global problem and not only one of rich countries. If we work together to curb climate change, this will be a win-win situation for everybody.”

For more information
Kostas Sasmatzoglou, EPP Spokesman, Tel. +32-2-285 4147
Javier Jiménez, EPP Press Officer, Tel: +32-475 48044