Brussels, 18 July 2024 – In a pivotal moment for the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected as the President of the European Commission, signalling a renewed commitment to delivering the European Green Deal, measures for just transition and moving towards more climate ambition. However, Von der Leyen’s commitment to 90% greenhouse gas emission cuts by 2040 still leaves an ambition gap to achieve climate neutrality on time and is not in line with the Paris Agreement.
Chiara Martinelli, Director at Climate Action Network Europe, says:
“The political guidelines show there is no going back on climate and just transition but it is too early to celebrate. We see a big risk of the competitiveness and deregulation agenda overshadowing ambitious climate action. Von der Leyen’s commitment only to 90 percent emission cuts is a step in the right direction but a missed opportunity to align EU’s ambition with science and equity by achieving climate neutrality by 2040 at the latest. She could at least have supported the EU’s scientific advisory board’s and the upper end of her own Commission’s Impact Assessment’s 95 percent reductions.”
Von der Leyen’s plan for a Clean Industrial Deal acknowledges the vital role of the European industrial base in contributing to the energy transition and reaching climate neutrality. However, financial support for private companies has to come with strong social and green conditionalities.
Martinelli says:
“An industrial deal can only be considered as “clean” if it moves towards circular consumption and production patterns within planetary boundaries, is based on renewables and explicitly closes the door for all fossil fuels.”
We particularly welcome the emphasis given to the social dialogue, ensuring that the next EU budget increases funds for just transition, but also gender equality, protecting civil society and engaging with young people. These are strong signals in times of political majorities moving to the right.
Martinelli adds:
“Our planet does not follow the EU’s political cycle. Von der Leyen and the rest of the new EU leadership have to ensure the continuation of the successes built in the past five years and improve the EU’s path towards a fossil-free, socially just and climate-neutral Union to avoid even worse disasters in the future in Europe and beyond. The ambition laid out by Commissioners during the hearings in October will be the first real ‘fitness-check’.”
For more information and media requests:
Jani Savolainen, Communications Coordinator, jani.savolainen@caneurope.org
