No time for climate delay

Dear friends around Europe,

Last week, we flooded the European Parliament with tens of thousands of emails
and phone calls in the hours before the crucial vote on the EU climate and energy
package - and it worked! Congratulations! We successfully beat back the industry
lobbyists and won a package better than many had hoped for.[1]

But incredibly this victory could be short lived - sign off by the heads of Europe's
governments is required at this Wednesday's EU summit. And with the financial
crisis topping the agenda, there are worrying signs that Europe's leaders will step back
from both the Parliament's vote and their own earlier commitments.[2]

Europe's national leaders need to hear from us over the next 48 hours,
before they make their final decision. So let's send them a flood of emails and phone-calls.
Click here to find your own leader's email address - and phone numbers if you feel
like ringing as well - and suggestions about what to say. We know it works:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/europe_climate_summit/

Far from being an excuse to water down our shift to a cleaner, greener economy,
the financial crisis gives us good reason to accelerate this change.
Massive investment in the transport, power infrastructure and industries of the future
will help to revive our economies, cut our energy bills and prepare us better for
the challenges ahead. Delays will cost us more down the track, whereas
ambitious action now will fuel Europe's economy.

But we are also up against another mighty force - lobbyists are at work,
demanding massive free permits to pollute and delays which will threaten the global
deal to stop climate catastrophe. They are using the financial crisis to put fear into
governments, predicting economic catastrophe if energy intensive industries are not
protected and if governments proceed with plans to mandate investment in
renewable energy.[3]

We have only a limited time before the heads of nations meet to determine Europe's
climate and energy package. If watered down now, our chances of success in securing
a bold global deal next year will be severely undermined.
We've shown we can change minds before, now's time to strongly advocate
for the positive impact a bold package will have on both our planet and
our climate.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/europe_climate_summit/

With hope and determination,

Brett, Paul, Pascal, Veronique, Graziela, Ricken, Ben, Iain, Milena and the whole Avaaz team

Sources:
[1] Main points of the plan approved by Parliament: faster pricing of emissions
allowances to encourage cleaner, greener industry - all power stations will have to buy
their pollution allowances from 2013 instead of getting anything for free, and heavy
industry permits will be phased out from 2013. Offsets were cut significantly, and bold
new longer-term targets of 50% emissions reductions by 2035 and 60-80% by 2050 were set.
For the first time, an emissions ceiling was set to stop dirty coal-fired power – though it
will need to be strengthened - and significant funds were allocated for helping developing
countries go green, as well as research into carbon capture. There's much more to do, but this
package is a real advance. See setback for industry on green "Super Tuesday":
http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/2008/10/setback-for-industry-on-green-su
per-tuesday-/62578.aspx

[2] On the concerns about Wednesday's summit:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/oct/09/energy.climatechange

[3] E3G - Ten Reasons Why Giving Free ETS Allowances will Not Protect EU
Jobs or Competitiveness:
http://avaazpress.s3.amazonaws.com/66_Ten%20Reasons%20Why%20Free%20
Allowances%20Will%20Not%20Preserve%20EU%20Competitiveness%20and%20Jobs.pdf