In reaction to the new climate action plan published by the French government today, Wendel Trio, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe said:
“The plan puts the revision of the EU’s weak Paris pledge high on the agenda of the European leaders. It sends a clear message to the whole EU that the full implementation of the Paris Agreement means much deeper emission cuts than currently planned. The announcement should trigger more ambition on climate at the G20 summit”.
The new French climate action plan states that France will push the EU to increase ambition of its emission reduction targets in light of the results of the UN facilitative dialogue in 2018.
The French government acknowledges that this is part of implementing the Paris Agreement.
In Paris countries committed to staying “well” below 2°C, while pursuing efforts to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C.
Countries also recognized that the contributions they had prepared for the Paris negotiations, which included the EU’s pledge to reduce emissions by at least 40%, would lead to global emissions of at least 55 GtCO2-e by 2030. At the same time, the absolute maximum level of emissions for staying below 2°C would be 40 GtCO2-e.
To close this emissions gap, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) called upon all countries to reduce their 2030 emissions by at least another 25%.
ENDS
Contacts:
Wendel Trio, CAN Europe Director, wendel@caneurope.org, +32 473 170 887
Ania Drazkiewicz, CAN Europe Communications Coordinator, ania@caneurope.org, +32 494 525 738
Notes:
French climate action plan (in French) here: https://www.ecologique-solidaire.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2017.07.06%20-%20Plan%20Climat_0.pdf
Page 16: “La France se mobilisera également pour que l’Union européenne, par son leadership, initie le mouvement du relèvement de l’ambition de ses objectifs de réduction des émissions, à la lumière des conclusions du dialogue de facilitation prévu en 2018.”
Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe is Europe’s largest coalition working on climate and energy issues. With over 130 member organisations in more than 30 European countries – representing over 44 million citizens – CAN Europe works to prevent dangerous climate change and promote sustainable climate and energy policy in Europe.
