No additional emissions reductions from the EU commitment at the Biden Summit puts all eyes on the ‘Fit for 55’ package

Climate action| Global transition

PRESS RELEASE

Brussels, 22 April 2021. The European Union has not committed to any additional emissions reductions at the Climate Leaders Summit organised by the Biden Administration on top of what the European Council had already agreed last year with a 55% reduction by 2030.

The EU needs to go well beyond 55% reduction to tackle climate change in line with the Paris Agreement goal to limit global warming to 1.5°C. In order to contribute its fair share to the global efforts, the EU should achieve at least 65% gross emission cuts by 2030, hence the European Climate Law -which EU officials praised in their speeches today at the Summit- falls significantly behind.

“Many world leaders welcomed today the US being ‘on board’, but welcoming others being on board is not enough. Most political announcements we heard today are sadly not in line with the scientific evidence. We, as a global community, cannot limit temperature rise to 1.5°C if the EU and the US don’t do their fair shares. All eyes will be on EU’s climate ambition at the upcoming climate and energy legislation under the ‘Fit for 55’ package that will be presented by the European Commission in June,” said Wendel Trio, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe.

“In preparation for the summit, the US pulled off massive diplomatic efforts to advance cooperation with climate policy heavyweights like China and India. The EU must now advance its own strategies towards those players for truly effective and impactful climate cooperation aiming to cut emissions significantly in the next years,” said Sven Harmeling, International Climate Policy Coordinator at Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe.

On top of domestic emissions reductions, in line with the principles of equity and fairness, European countries as the biggest emitters need to increase financial support to climate vulnerable countries. European leaders failed today to put forward adequate new climate financing commitments, and all the pressure will be now at the G7 Summit in June as the next moment for the world’s biggest economies to pledge more support. The EU should also be improving support through its EU budget funds and the European Investment Bank, ensuring increasing amounts of climate finance allocated to climate adaptation, with a strong priority to least developed and small island countries.

“Climate action will not work without massive global injustices being addressed because systemic inequalities fuel the climate crisis. Unfortunately, European countries at the Summit have failed to send clear signals to vulnerable countries that commitments to increase climate finance are in sight,” explained Rachel Simon, Climate and Development Policy Coordinator at Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe.

-ENDS-

For more information please contact:

Nina Tramullas, CAN Europe Communication Coordinator; nina@caneurope.org

Sven Harmeling, CAN Europe International Climate Policy Coordinator;  sven@caneurope.org

Rachel Simon, CAN Europe Climate and Development Policy Coordinator; rachel@caneurope.org

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