The European Parliament will vote this week in plenary on the European climate law. Saskia Bricmont and Philippe Lamberts (Ecolo, Belgium), together with their group (Greens/EFA), will vote against the final text. They regret a lack of ambition, that will not be enough for the EU to meet the commitments set by the Paris Agreement.
The European Climate Law enshrines in law the targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions during this crucial decade for the climate. Unfortunately, the announced figure of -55% is far too low, as scientists advocate a reduction of at least 65-70% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
“The stated target of -55% emissions falls far short of what is needed. And it is based on accounting tricks, which means that the actual reduction targets is only 52.8%. This figure will simply not be enough to reach the Paris climate goals, which call for limiting global warming to a maximum of 2°C, and if possible 1.5°C”, deplores Saskia Bricmont.
Earlier this week, a draft report by UN climate experts warned that sustained global warming above +1.5°C would have irreversible impacts on human and ecological systems.The MEPs regret that this European climate law does not take into account the warnings of science, while climate scientists are issuing urgent warnings about heat waves, droughts, floods, forest fires, water shortages and species loss, and are calling for a consistent reduction in emissions.
“We regret all the more the lack of ambition of this text as the European Parliament had put a proposal on the table that was much more in line with the recommendations of science in the negotiations with the Commission and the Council. The ‘Fit for 2030’ climate package in July will still be an opportunity for Europe to save the Green Deal, and for the EU to act as a leader in the fight against climate change ahead of COP26 in November.” adds Philippe Lamberts.
During these negotiations, the Greens/EFA group will continue to advocate that the implementation of the Green Deal goes hand in hand with a socially just turn, which is a prerequisite for making the climate transition a shared objective for all.