Fossil Alliance fails to crush climate action but more ambition needed
Fit for 55
Today, the Members of the European Parliament have voted in favour of the mandates for the negotiations on the European Emission Trading System (ETS), the Carbon Border Adjustment System (CBAM), and the Social Climate Fund. The vote is the Parliament’s second attempt at approving the mandates, since a progressive majority rejected efforts by a fossil fuel alliance of conservative and right-wing MEPs to water down the ETS during the last plenary. The votes on the CBAM and Social Climate Fund were equally postponed as all the files are interlinked. The Greens/EFA Group welcome this new compromise, even though it is not enough to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees.
Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System
Jakop Dalunde MEP, Greens/EFA shadow rapporteur on European Emissions Trading System in the Energy, Research and Industry, and the Transport and Tourism committees, comments:
“With today’s vote on the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), we managed to improve the severely watered down version EPP and Renew tried to push through together with the far right during last plenary. However, this is still not enough for the EU to be able to reach the 1.5 degree target. This unique opportunity for the EU to push our industries to modernise and become greener is not something we can let slip through our fingers. As the Greens/EFA Group, we will continue to push for stronger measures in negotiations to make sure the climate crisis is treated as the emergency that it is.”
Sara Matthieu MEP, Greens/EFA shadow on the Social Climate Fund in the Environment Committee, comments:
"The Green deal should also be a social deal. We need to prioritize massive new investments in low-income households, by deeply renovating their homes and creating affordable public transport. That's why the Social Climate Fund is a breakthrough: it's the first time we'll use EU money directly to lift the most vulnerable households in Europe out of energy and mobility poverty."
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
Manuela Ripa MEP, Greens/EFA shadow rapporteur on CO2 border adjustment in the Environment Committee, comments:
"We need the Border Adjustment Mechanism as a strong instrument for the EU wide and global shift in industrial policy towards green and sustainable technologies. We have successfully called for the CO2 border adjustment to be extended to all sectors of emissions trading from 2030. With this, the Parliament sends a strong signal that CO2 emissions in our industries have no future. Unfortunately, the Parliament’s position when it comes to export rebates and in the scope of application has been weakened. But all in all, this proposal puts an essential building block of the European Green Deal on the table."
