Shipping is a growing source of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) that cause climate change.

The White Paper aims at reducting by at least 60% the greenhouse gas emissions (‘'GHG'’) of the transport sector by 2050 with respect to 1990.

N. whereas the scientific consensus as expressed in IPCC AR4 leads to the conclusion that the level of global GHG emissions must be reduced by 50% to 85% compared to 2000 to avoid serious risks; whereas it will be increasingly difficult to achieve this target if global GHG emissions continue to rise until 2020 and beyond; whereas nearly all Member States are making good progress in their efforts to comply with their individual EU burden-sharing targets, thus raising the likelihood that the EU will reach its Kyoto target by 2012; whereas, nevertheless, after 2012 Member States will have to reduce GHG emissions in a more ambitious way ...[+++]if they are to meet the targets adopted at the above-mentioned European Council of 8-9 March 2007, to be achieved collectively by developed countries, of reducing their GHG emissions by 60% to 80% by 2050 compared to 1990,

N. whereas the scientific consensus as expressed in IPCC AR4 leads to the conclusion that the level of global GHG emissions must be reduced by 50% to 85% compared to 2000 to avoid serious risks; whereas it will be increasingly difficult to achieve this target if global GHG emissions continue to rise until 2020 and beyond; whereas nearly all Member States are making good progress in their efforts to comply with their individual EU burden-sharing targets, thus raising the likelihood that the EU will reach its Kyoto target by 2012; whereas, nevertheless, after 2012 Member States will have to reduce GHG emissions in a more ambitious way ...[+++]if they are to meet the targets adopted at the above-mentioned European Council of 8-9 March 2007, to be achieved collectively by developed countries, of reducing their GHG emissions by 60% to 80% by 2050 compared to 1990,

M. whereas the scientific consensus as expressed in IPCC AR4 leads to the conclusion that the level of global GHG emissions must be reduced by 50% to 85% compared to 2000 to avoid serious risks, whereas it will be increasingly difficult to achieve this target if global GHG emissions continue to rise until 2020 and beyond, whereas nearly all Member States are making good progress in their efforts to comply with their individual EU burden-sharing targets, thus raising the likelihood that the EU will reach its Kyoto target by 2012, whereas, nevertheless, after 2012 Member States will have to reduce GHG emissions in a more ambitious way if t ...[+++]hey are to meet the targets adopted at the European Council on 8-9 March 2007, to be achieved collectively by developed countries, of reducing their GHG emissions by 60% to 80% by 2050 compared to 1990,

30. Recognises that the credibility of EU negotiations relies on the success of Europe's domestic reduction efforts and on the development and transfer of low-carbon technologies to other countries; calls, therefore, for the adoption at all levels – local, national and European – of policies and measures which will ensure that the EU achieves domestic reductions in GHG emissions of at least of 30% from their 1990 level by 2020, provided that other industrialised countries commit themselves to similar GHG emission reductions and that more economically advanced developing countries make a contribution commensurate with their responsibilit ...[+++]ies and respective capacities; acknowledges the obligation accepted by the EU – irrespective of the conclusion of a global agreement for the period after 2012 – to reduce GHG emissions by at least 20% from their 1990 level by 2020; calls for the adoption of policies and measures that will support the spending of more funds at both national and EU level on RD and innovation in GHG reduction;