European Climate Law: a 60% reduction in emissions by 2030

Parliament calls on Member States to be climate neutral by 2050 and calls for ambitious emission reduction targets for 2030 and 2040.

The House on Wednesday approved its negotiating mandate on the European Climate Law by 392 votes in favour, 161 against and 142 abstentions. The new law aims to transform the political promise of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 into a binding obligation, in order to provide European citizens and businesses with the legal certainty and predictability they need in the face of such a transformation.

MEPs insist that both the EU and each of its Member States separately must achieve emission neutrality by 2050 and that, thereafter, the European Union must achieve a negative balance. They are also calling for sufficient funding to achieve this goal.

The Commission must propose by 31 May 2023, through the ordinary decision-making procedure, a European trajectory to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the text states. This strategy should take into account the EU’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions balance up to 2050 to limit temperature rise in accordance with the Paris Agreement. The trajectory should be reviewed after each global assessment.

MEPs also want to create an independent scientific body (an EU council on climate change) tasked with assessing whether the policy is coherent and monitoring progress.
A more ambitious target for 2030

The EU’s current emission reduction target for 2030 is 40% compared to 1990. The Commission has recently proposed to increase this target to ‘at least 55%’ in its amended proposal for a European Climate Law. MEPs go even further and call for a 60% reduction by 2030, making it clear that the increase in national targets will have to seek profitability and fairness.

They also want the Commission to propose an intermediate target for 2040, following an impact assessment, to ensure that the EU is on track to reach its 2050 target.

Finally, MEPs believe that the EU and Member States should phase out all direct and indirect fossil fuel subsidies by 31 December 2025 at the latest and insist on the need to continue working to combat energy poverty.

Statement by the rapporteur

Following the vote, Parliament’s rapporteur, Jytte Guteland (S&D, Sweden), said: “The adoption of the report sends a clear message to the Commission and the Council, in view of the forthcoming negotiations. We expect all Member States to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest and we need strong intermediate targets for 2030 and 2040 if the EU is to achieve this goal. I welcome the inclusion of a greenhouse gas budget, which determines the emissions available up to 2050 without jeopardising the EU’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.”

Next steps

Parliament is ready to start negotiations with the Member States as soon as the Council has agreed on a common position.

Background

Following the 2019 European Council decision to support the 2050 climate neutrality target, the Commission proposed, in March 2020, the European Climate Law, which makes climate neutrality of emissions a legal requirement.

Parliament has played an important role in pushing forward more ambitious EU climate legislation. On November 28, 2019, he declared a climate emergency.

Source: European Parliament