Today the European Parliament adopted a resolution ahead of this year’s UN Climate Summit COP23. It calls on the EU to review and increase its 2030 climate target, following the next UN Climate Summit in 2018, when world leaders will gather to assess progress in the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Commenting on the resolution, Wendel Trio, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe said:
“The Parliament is right to recognize that the EU’s current 2030 climate target is not in line with the commitments made by the EU under the Paris Agreement. MEPs send a strong signal to all EU decision makers to step up and commit to more ambitious climate action. We hope the message will get through to EU governments, who are at the moment doing the exact opposite by watering down the already low national targets under the Effort Sharing Regulation.”
On 13th October, EU Environment Ministers are expected to agree on their position on one of the EU’s cornerstone measures for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR). The law sets national binding targets to reduce emissions from transport, waste, agriculture, buildings and small industry, covering 60% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions.
So far EU countries have turned a blind eye to the need to increase emission reductions under the ESR, and instead have advocated measures that reduce the efforts of each country. These loopholes will lower the already weak 30% target under the ESR to a mere 23%.
ENDS
Contacts:
Ania Drazkiewicz, CAN Europe Communications Coordinator, ania@caneurope.org, +32 494 525 738
Notes:
Invitation to CAN Europe’s press briefing ahead of the Environment Council on 13th October https://caneurope.org/publications/press-releases/1477-press-briefing-europe-s-two-faced-climate-change-game
CAN Europe press release on the state of the play of the Effort Sharing Regulation negotiations https://caneurope.org/publications/press-releases/1472-eu-member-states-stance-on-their-climate-targets-shows-hypocrisy
CAN Europe op-ed on the state of the play of the Effort Sharing Regulation negotiations https://caneurope.org/publications/op-eds/1473-europe-s-two-faced-climate-change-game
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.
