European Union cites Jammu and Kashmir floods to root for strong climate agreement

Sounding alarm bells over Jammu and Kashmir floods and other environmental disasters, European Union on Friday said governments should work "seriously" towards a meaningful and "strong" climate agreement in Paris next year to keep the goal of limiting global temperature increase to under two degrees Celsius.

"Citizens around the planet are now feeling the impact of climate change. Right now, in Kashmir.... You see in many parts of the world. ...And I believe that that should be a sort of background music for Paris next year," European Union Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard told reporters here.

Her statement came as countries are discussing on how a new agreeable universal treaty on climate change can be achieved as the governments meet at a UN platform in Paris next year. "Europe wants very much a strong agreement.... We want to see an agreement where everybody is on board," she said.

Talking about the domestic actions taken by the European Union to cut down green house gas emission, Hedegaard who is on an official visit here, said since 1990 the 28-nation bloc has had an increase in the total European GDP of 45 % while it has reduced emissions between 18 and 19 per cent.

She said next month, the 28 States would adopt a new carbon emission target for Europe for 2030.

The EU climate chief said the proposal is for 40 per cent emission reduction domestically by 2030. "The target for 2020 is 20 per cent. 40 per cent reduction in 2030. That is quiet substantial and that is through domestic efforts," Hedegaard said.