Prague, Dec 1 (CTK) – Czech environmentalist groups have praised the commitments to which PM Bohuslav Sobotka adhered in his speech at the U.N. climate conference in Paris, including a sharp reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and further Czech contributions to the climate fund for developing countries.
Sobotka´s words should be followed by deeds now, such as the passing of the anti-fossil bill defining the ways to gradually curb the consumption of oil, coal and gas, the NGOs said.
“It is wonderful to hear so strong words pronounced by the Czech prime minister. The anti-fossil bill, which is waiting for the cabinet´s approval, would fulfil just what Sobotka spoke about. It would be an investment in our future and a safeguard of our economic prosperity and energy security,” Jiri Kozelouh, programme director of the Friends of the Earth movement, said in a press release.
Petra Honcova, coordinator of the Czech Climatic Coalition, said the NGOs bestowed the “Fossil of the Day” anti-prize for the first time in Paris on Monday. The prize, designed for the country that poses the biggest obstacle to the climate negotiations, has gone to Belgium, where the government and regions still fail to agree on a programme of emission reduction.
“The mock-prize for Belgium is a warning to us. The prime minister has addressed the Paris [summit], but the promised bill that would lower [the Czech] dependance on fossil fuels has not been submitted by his cabinet yet,” Honcova said.
Frantisek Marcik, analyst from the Globopolis centre, praised Sobotka for mentioning Czech co-responsibility in his speech and promising further help to the countries that are endangered by climate change most of all.
The task for the government is to ensure that the help is stable, predictable and adequate, Marcik said.
“Moreover, the government should support the goals of the sustainable development in the global South countries and confirm Prague´s pledge to provide 0.33 percent of GDP to development cooperation,” Marcik said.
In his speech at the beginning of the Paris conference on Monday, Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) confirmed Prague´s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030 compared to 1990, and emphasised the need to provide financial aid to the least developed countries.
Sobotka´s centre-left cabinet, in its policy statement from early 2014, expressed its will to prepare a law to reduce the country´s dependance on fossil fuels on condition it does not harm the country´s competitiveness.
However, the project continues to be analysed before a concrete decision is made.
At present, the Czech Republic is 80-percent dependent on oil, gas and coal.
