European Union's climate change goals will cost €1 trillion· Report outlines daunting task of CO2 targets
· Insulation more effective than new power stations
Kate Connolly in Berlin
Wednesday March 28, 2007
The GuardianThe EU's new climate change goals will cost up to €1.1 trillion (£747bn)
to implement over the next 14 years, according to a new study.
The most comprehensive investigation on managing the economics of climate
change paints a daunting picture of the EU's plan to decrease greenhouse
gases by at least 20% by 2020.
But the study by the consulting firm McKinsey published in a German newspaper
yesterday, argues it is both economically and technically possible to reduce
emissions on schedule, but that the political effort necessary will be immense.
-snip-To achieve cost-effective results, the study advises that politicians concentrate
on implementing the cheapest and most effective environmental measures first,
rather than the cost-heavy solutions such as building CO2-free coal power
stations. "The potential in building insulation should be given much more
attention," Mr Vahlenkamp said. "There is a wealth of cost-free possibilities
that would neither negatively effect our lifestyles nor our comfort."
-snip-