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UN criticizes Britain, Germany for undermining Paris climate deal

Xinhua, July 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

Fossil fuel subsidies from the British and German governments have undermined the spirit of the Paris climate deal aimed at reducing emissions worldwide and limiting global average temperatures, the UN climate change envoy said Monday.

Mary Robinson, former Irish president and UN special envoy on climate change and El Nino, said she had to speak out after Germany's compensation for coal power and British tax breaks for oil and gas.

"The British government introduced new tax breaks for oil and gas in 2015 that will cost the UK taxpayer billions between 2015 and 2020, and at the same time they have cut support for renewables and for energy efficiency," Robinson told The Guardian newspaper.

"It's regrettable. That's not in the spirit (of Paris)," she said. "In many ways, the UK was a real leader (on climate change) and hopefully the UK will become again a real leader. But it's not at the moment."

In December 2015, nearly 200 countries adopted the Paris Agreement, the first global pact to jointly fight climate change, pledging to collectively cut greenhouse gas emissions, most of which come from the burning of oil, coal and gas for energy.

Early in July, newly appointed British Prime Minister Theresa May abolished the country's Department of Energy and Climate Change, which sparked criticism from former ministers and international organizations.

The UN envoy also accused Germany. "Germany says it's on track to end coal subsidies by 2018 but the German government is also introducing new mechanisms that provide payment to power companies for their ability to provide a constant supply of electricity, even if they are polluting forms, such as diesel and coal," Robinson said.

She urged the German government to make a real commitment to get out of coal, adding that all countries should end fossil fuel subsidies. Endi