11 Dec. EU Council climate target falls short of the Paris climate agreement
This morning, the EU heads of state and government agreed on a disappointing new climate target: By 2030, the European Union's net emissions are to be reduced by 55 percent compared to 1990 levels. However, the term "net emissions" only refers to an actual reduction of 50.5 to 52.8 percent. A weak compromise that falls far short of the Paris climate target.
We no longer have time for window-dressing! The EU Parliament has clearly communicated its position: We need at least 60 percent. We will defend this position!
"The outcome of the EU Council negotiations is no cause for celebration. Once again, urgent warnings from the scientific community have been ignored and a dangerous, backward-looking policy has been given preference," said Manuela Ripa, MEP for the Ecological Democratic Party, criticizing the EU Council's decision. "The world is already 1.1°C warmer. In order to even begin to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement, we need to emit at least 60, but preferably 65 percent less greenhouse gases by 2030. We no longer have time for window-dressing! The EU Parliament has clearly communicated its position: We need at least 60 percent. We will defend this position!"
Manuela Ripa also emphasizes that a reduction in greenhouse gases must not be brought about by nuclear energy, as France and the Czech Republic in particular want. "That would not be progress either. We urgently need more renewable energies - and not technologies that expose us to major health risks."
Background
The EU Council's decision comes one day before the five-year anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement. Under the agreement, measures are to be taken to limit global warming to well below 2°C, or at best to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels. To achieve this target, the EU would have to reduce its emissions by 60 to 65 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Previously, this target was only 40 percent. The EU Parliament already agreed in October 2020 to reduce greenhouse gases by at least 60% by 2030.
According to the latest United Nations Emissions Gap Report the Paris climate target has so far been missed by a wide margin worldwide, as the world is still heading for a temperature rise of 3°C.
Following the Paris Climate Agreement, the EU must now submit its updated strategy (the Nationally Determined Contribution or NDC) to the United Nations by the end of the year. As the COP26 climate summit has been postponed to 2021, the UN, the UK and France will host a global climate event on December 12 to present the NDCs of individual countries.