EU Member States fail to agree on eliminating 13 billion Kyoto surplus, squander opportunity for real climate action

EU Environment Ministers failed to reach a consensus in Luxembourg on addressing the 13 billion tonne surplus of emission reduction permits from the first Kyoto commitment period. CDM Watch argues that this failure, driven largely by Poland's insistence on the unrestricted use of its surplus, weakens the EU's position for the Doha climate negotiations and threatens the environmental integrity of a second commitment period. The document highlights that the surplus, often termed "hot air," does not represent real emission reductions, as countries like Poland, Russia, and Ukraine had emissions levels well below their targets at the time of the Kyoto Protocol's adoption.

• EU Environment Ministers failed to agree on a strategy to handle the 13 billion surplus of emission reduction permits from the first Kyoto commitment period, despite a proposal from the G-77 group and China to minimize their use.
• Poland, the largest surplus holder within the EU, was a primary obstacle to an agreement, arguing that there should be no limits on the carry-over or use of the surplus.
• The surplus is characterized as "hot air" rather than real emission reductions because countries like Poland, Russia, and Ukraine had emissions levels significantly below their 1988/1990 baselines when the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997.
• The total accumulated surplus from the first and second Kyoto commitment periods is projected to potentially exceed 17 billion tonnes by 2020.
• The EU's final Council statement suggests that Russia may be unable to sell its 6 billion tonne surplus if it refuses to join a second commitment period.

APA

CMW (2012). EU Member States fail to agree on eliminating 13 billion Kyoto surplus, squander opportunity for real climate action. Carbon Market Watch. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2012/10/26/press-statement-eu-member-states-fail-to-agree-on-eliminating-13-billion-kyoto-surplus-squander-opportunity-for-real-climate-action/

Chicago

CMW. EU Member States fail to agree on eliminating 13 billion Kyoto surplus, squander opportunity for real climate action. Carbon Market Watch, 2012. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2012/10/26/press-statement-eu-member-states-fail-to-agree-on-eliminating-13-billion-kyoto-surplus-squander-opportunity-for-real-climate-action/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=CMW |title=EU Member States fail to agree on eliminating 13 billion Kyoto surplus, squander opportunity for real climate action |publisher=Carbon Market Watch |date=26 October 2012 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2012/10/26/press-statement-eu-member-states-fail-to-agree-on-eliminating-13-billion-kyoto-surplus-squander-opportunity-for-real-climate-action/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cmw2012member, author = {CMW}, title = {{EU Member States fail to agree on eliminating 13 billion Kyoto surplus, squander opportunity for real climate action}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2012}, month = oct, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2012/10/26/press-statement-eu-member-states-fail-to-agree-on-eliminating-13-billion-kyoto-surplus-squander-opportunity-for-real-climate-action/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }