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Greenpeace rallying EU climate leaders

Protest vessel Arctic Sunrise parked off the Spanish coast.

By Daniel J. Graeber
Greenpeace protesting against fossil fuels industry ahead of EU climate climate summit. (Photo courtesy: Greenpeace)
Greenpeace protesting against fossil fuels industry ahead of EU climate climate summit. (Photo courtesy: Greenpeace)

MADRID, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Advocacy group Greenpeace said Wednesday it parked its protest vessel Arctic Sunrise off the Spanish coast to pressure European leaders on climate reforms.

Members of the European Union kick off a two-day summit Thursday in Brussels to review their environmental policies. Leaders are set to discuss reducing emissions by 40 percent from the 1990 level, using renewable energy for 27 percent of their power needs and improving energy efficiency by 30 percent by 2030.

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Greenpeace said it's positioned its Arctic Sunrise vessel off the coast of Spain to protest against the fossil fuels industry blamed for some of the negative impacts of climate change.

"We want to reduce the billions of dollars a day Europeans pay to import fossil fuel and steer fraction of it towards establishing a credible, smart renewable sector which will excite investors and create jobs," Virag Kaufer, a campaign director, said in a statement.

European governments are divided over how best to formulate climate policies. Current benchmarks call for 20 percent emission reductions, 20 percent renewable energy use and energy efficiency improvements of 20 percent by 2020.

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Greenpeace used its Arctic Sunrise vessel to gain access to the Prirazlomnaya rig, deployed by Russian energy company Gazprom for work in the country's arctic waters. Two freelance journalists and 28 Greenpeace activists, dubbed the Arctic 30, were held by Russian authorities on piracy charges last year.

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