European Union leaders have made a resolution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to renewable fuels. They are calling on other countries to follow their example in the fight against climate change. German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised the EU's ambitious decisions, such as setting a binding target for renewable energy to make up 20% of EU energy use by 2020, and stated that the EU is at the forefront of the battle against global warming. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso emphasized that Europe is leading the way in combating climate change and encouraged other countries to join them. The EU has established goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote renewable energy, improve energy efficiency, and use biofuels. These targets will impact all 490 million citizens in the bloc, as leaders are calling for energy-saving lighting to be mandatory in homes, offices, and streets by the end of the decade. Barroso believes that Europe can gain an economic advantage by investing in green technology, but businesses are worried about the costs and potential loss of competitiveness. The agreement includes Europe-wide targets for reducing CO2 emissions and increasing renewable energy sources, but individual countries will need to agree on their own specific goals, leading to potential disagreements between Brussels and member states. Merkel successfully negotiated a legally binding target for renewable fuels, such as solar and wind power, which was a contentious issue. Leaders agreed to the 20 percent target for renewable sources in exchange for flexibility on individual country contributions. The United Nations, which has been organizing global efforts to address climate change, praised the plan. Deputy UN spokeswoman Marie Okabe described the commitment to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade as ambitious, emphasizing that ambition and leadership are crucial in responding to climate change, a major challenge for humanity. British Prime Minister Tony Blair called the targets for the European Union groundbreaking, bold, and ambitious. "They need to put in a lot of effort for Europe to achieve this, but it will give Europe a strong leadership position on this important global issue," he informed the reporters. The summit statement was able to satisfy countries like France, Poland, Cyprus, and Malta by promising to respect each country's energy sources and capabilities, whether it be nuclear, coal, or limited resources. The leaders agreed on a goal of reducing EU greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020, with the potential to increase to 30 percent if other major nations also commit. Additionally, there was a 10 percent target set for biofuels in transportation by 2020, with a focus on cost-effective implementation. However, they did not support the European Commission's proposal to require large utility companies to divest their generation and distribution businesses. Instead, they reached a consensus on the importance of separating supply and production activities from network operations, without mentioning the dismantling of energy giants like E.ON, RWE, Gaz de France, and EDF. Currently, renewables make up less than 7 percent of the EU's energy mix, and the bloc is not meeting its targets for renewable energy and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. French President Jacques Chirac emphasized the importance of nuclear power in France's energy mix, which accounts for 70 percent of the country's electricity, as part of Europe's efforts to combat greenhouse gas emissions. However, some EU countries are against nuclear power, such as Germany, which is phasing it out. Poland secured a commitment to solidarity among member states, with western European countries assisting former Soviet bloc states in the event of energy supply disruptions from Russia. Various ex-communist member states in central Europe were hesitant to embrace the renewables target due to concerns about the costs of transitioning to green energy. Merkel, as chair of the Group of Eight, aims for the EU to lead the way in environmental initiatives. The summit's results will guide the EU's stance in global discussions to replace the expiring UN Kyoto Protocol in 2012. Environmentalists, who typically scrutinize EU actions, praised the agreement as a significant step forward.