Hungarian Parliment to prepare for a Climate Law

Monday evening the Hungarian Parliament adopted the resolution on the preparations of the climate law initiated by the Friends of the Earth Hungary and the National Council for Sustainable Development. This means a huge step towards the realization of the climate law as the elaboration of its content can start immediately.

It is an elevating moment for the climate law initiative of Friends of the Earth Hungary. This is the first fruit of the broad coalition of NGOs calling together for this. "The Parliament with this decision has recognized the public need for the climate law and unequivocally stood up for it" said Istvan Farkas, Executive President of Friends of the Earth Hungary.

The preparation of the resolution reached a consensus rare in Hungary: all the 3 Committees of the Parliament (Economic, Environmental and Agricultural Committee) unanimously adopted the text. According to the resolution, the National Council for Sustainable Development - in co-operation with the Government and public stakeholders - starts the compilation of the climate bill which will be afterwards sumbitted to the Parliament by the end of February 2010.

The resolution - which received 324 votes in favour and 1 against - declares that the climate law shall contain the Hungarian GHG mitigation targets; a legislative base for a gradual reduction of the national fossil energy use; the increase of renewable energy source use and more effective energy saving and -efficiency legislation; moreover, effective economic incentives for the needed public, community and economic investments. The environmentalists welcomed the resolution which is in line with their objectives.

A key to the success of the climate law initiative is the wide public support of the issue due to the local actions, forums and meetings organized nation-wide by the FoE Hungary and its regional partner NGOs. The petition was signed by 82 MPs, 180 NGOs and more than ten thousand individuals up till yesterday. People stand up for the positive public interest issue of the climate law independently from parties - this can bring the society together in these crisis years - Alexa Botár, Head of the climate program at NSC-Friends of the Earth Hungary said.