MEPs’ ‘Travelling Circus’ Emits More CO2 Than Some Nations, Say Greens
25 April 2007
Dr Lucas has called for an end to the ‘travelling circus’ which sees the entire European Parliament move from Brussels to Strasbourg for four days a month – at a cost of more than €200m a year to EU taxpayers.
She said: “It is simply unacceptable that so much CO2 is being emitted completely unnecessarily – and €200m euros is being wasted every year - on this anachronistic travelling circus.
“This study shows the environmental costs of this unnecessary monthly merry-go-round, measured in terms of CO2 emissions, are higher than those produced by some nations – including some of the very countries most at risk from rising sea levels caused by climate change.
“These emissions aren’t just undermining EU efforts to cut CO2 across the union: they send out a clear signal to citizens, businesses and member country governments that cutting emissions isn’t as big a priority as defending the status quo.”
The report, researched for Dr Lucas and London’s Green MEP Jean Lambert by Professor of Sustainable Transport John Whitelegg of the Stockholm Environment Institute at the University of York, totals the extra carbon emissions generated every month by MEPs, staff, journalists and visitors travelling every month from Brussels to Strasbourg and back, the ‘carbon costs’ of freight between the two sites, and the energy needed to maintain the two Parliament buildings.
It reports that as well as more than €200 million euros financial cost, the two-seat arrangement is responsible for at least 20,268 tonnes of completely unnecessary additional carbon dioxide emissions every year – more than some entire countries.
This figure is a conservative estimate, based on ‘best case’ data and estimates provided by the EU itself, and includes only transport and energy costs without examining other impacts.
Actual emissions produced are likely to be far higher, though the report has deliberately sought to use conservative figures to increase the widespread acceptance of what is the first evidence-based and robust study of the environmental and climate change implications of running a one-seat, Brussels-based, operation for the European Parliament.
The study reports that ending the Strasbourg parliamentary sessions would cut the need at a stroke for 2,650 offices, a debating chamber and nearly 50 conference rooms, most with full translation facilities. That could cut emissions by 3,928 tonnes of CO2 just in electricity and gas alone.
Similarly, the monthly travel of 2,000 parliamentary staff and interpreters, nearly 1,000 assistants, journalists and lobbyists, 785 MEPs, 15 lorry-loads of trunks and documents, would be rendered completely unnecessary.
The report argues that as these emissions are completely avoidable, the EU and its member governments must agree to close the Strasbourg parliament building immediately in order to ‘put its own house in order’.
It concludes: ‘The Strasbourg operation imposes a very large climate change burden. There are reasons why Parliament has evolved this way but the urgent need to take action on climate change requires a change of plan. Not to change historical working practice sends a very clear message to millions of citizens and thousands of businesses that they need not try very hard to change behaviour if this change is inconvenient.’
The report, ‘European Parliament two-seat operation: Environmental costs, transport and energy’ will be launched in Strasbourg on Wednesday (April 25 th).
Dr Lucas added: “The arrangement dates from a 1992 agreement between the then EU member states based on the European Parliament being a less frequent meeting place for representatives of far fewer countries and is simply no longer relevant in today’s EU.
“Strasbourg is an important city symbolising the peace between France and Germany but this symbolism alone is recklessly hastening climate change, costing literally billions, and unnecessarily increasing the workload of MEPs and their staff.
“If we are to cut global CO2 emissions by as much as 90 per cent over the next few decades – necessary if we are to stave off the worst impacts of climate change – we need to make radical changes to the way we travel and use energy.
“The EU itself must exercise some environmental leadership – and end the two seat arrangement immediately.”
Last year Dr Lucas joined more than a million people from around the EU signing a petition calling for the two-seat arrangement to be scrapped.
ENDS
