Negotiations on a European Climate Law crucial
EUCO
The Greens/EFA group welcomes the agreement of European Union leaders to raise their climate target to at least 55% net emissions reduction by 2030, but significantly more effort is needed to reach the Paris climate goals. The Greens/EFA group strongly criticise the overnight push to promote gas as a transitional technology. Now it comes down to the negotiations on European climate legislation. Tomorrow (Saturday, December 12) marks the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement.
Ska Keller MEP, President of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, comments:
"Increasing the emissions reduction target to at least 55 percent net is a significant step forward compared to the current 40 percent, but will not be enough to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. Leaders are not adhering to the kind of numbers being called for by the science. Unfortunately, creative counting by the Commission and Council means the real target ultimately shrinks to 53 percent at best. To avert climate collapse, every percent counts.
"The approval of this target in the Council has come at a dear cost with the definition of gas as 'transitional' energy. European governments are opening the door to billions in investments from the Green Deal to go to fossil fuels. Like we successfully excluded gas from the Just Transition Fund, the Greens/EFA will keep on fighting for excluding fossil fuels from the Resilience and Recovery Facility.
"What matters now are the negotiations around a strong European Climate Law. The European Parliament is calling for a 60 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030, an end to all fossil fuel subsidies and climate neutrality in 2050 in all EU member states, rather than a net target. Shortly before the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement, the world is looking to the EU for leadership.
"In order for the European Union to become a global leader in climate protection and to achieve the green transition with the Green Deal, the negotiations on the European Climate Law must be concluded as quickly as possible under the Portuguese Council Presidency."
