The European Parliament calls to accelerate the global effort against climate change at COP26

The plenary session of the European Parliament has made this Thursday a call to accelerate the global effort in the fight against climate change, in which the EU must be at the forefront, ahead of the next United Nations Climate Conference in Glasgow ( COP26).

With 527 votes in favour, 134 against and 35 abstentions, MEPs pointed out that the G20 countries “must take the lead” and assume the commitment to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 (reducing CO2 emissions as much as possible and offsetting the rest, for example, with the action of the forests).

The European Parliament expresses in the text its concern over the fact that the national objectives agreed in Paris in 2015 lead to global warming “well above” three degrees Celsius in 2100.

Thus, with the aim of accelerating the fight against climate change at the domestic level, the European Parliament has indicated that the EU should change its ten-year plans for revisions every five. In that period, the MEPs add, the bloc should have eliminated all direct and indirect subsidies for fossil fuels gradually.

In a parallel report, also approved this Thursday with 563 votes in favor, 122 against and 11 abstentions, the MEPs have demanded that binding goals be established for the reduction of methane emissions at European level.

In this sense, they have asked the European Commission to propose “mandatory measures” to achieve this reduction for all sectors with the aim of “significantly” cutting methane emissions by 2030. They also call for a global agreement on this matter in 2026.

Methane emissions caused by human beings, underlines this second text from the European Parliament, is one of the most effective strategies from an economic point of view to curb climate change and would also improve air quality and the health of citizens.

On the other hand, the European Parliament also proposes that new measures be introduced to curb methane emissions in the agriculture sector, but also to ensure that food production is not relocated outside the EU.

Source: Europe Press