EU heads of government have this morning reached an agreement for a new 2030 EU target to cut carbon emissions by at least 55%.
Colin Roche, climate justice coordinator for Friends of the Earth Europe had this to say:
“EU leaders may pat themselves on the back for finally agreeing a new climate target, but this is still a far cry from the victory the climate needs. Our leaders must go further to deliver Europe’s fair share of global action to cut carbon and live up to the agreement they made in Paris five years ago. Meanwhile if this new target is to be meaningful, planned new EU infrastructure spending must cut out all fossil fuels now.”
Having now set the newly minted target, Member States will start negotiations with the European Parliament over the final text of an EU climate law.
But today’s decision will allow the EU to communicate its increased contribution to the Paris Climate Agreement in time for an online ‘Climate Ambition Summit‘ Saturday (12 December), coinciding with the five year anniversary of the signing of the accord.
Meena Raman, of Sabahat Alam Malaysia / Friends of the Earth Malaysia and Third World Network, commented:
“For far too long, the failure of the rich world to honour its climate commitments in a meaningful way under the UN Climate Convention has been a story of broken promises. Any celebration of the Paris moment rings hollow, and smacks of yet another effort to pull the wool over the eyes of the public. The truth is that the global North is very far from doing its fair share, not only on emissions reductions, but also on enabling adequate adaptation, addressing loss and damage in poor countries and in providing real climate finance.”
Friends of the Earth is disappointed that the 55% target agreed includes controversial ‘net’ savings that would come from land and forest sinks, weakening the target. And that the agreement references “the right of Member States to decide on their energy mix and to choose the most appropriate technologies … such as gas.”
Five years on from the Paris Agreement
Commenting on the 5 year anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement, Dipti Bhatnagar, International Program Coordinator for Climate Justice and Energy with Friends of the Earth International, from Mozambique, said:
“Although the Paris Agreement fails to meet the needs of climate justice and climate science, its signing was important in showing global unity and the urgent need to limit global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees. But five years later, we find our world mired in higher inequality, deeper crises of increasing unemployment, fossil fuel projects and bailouts for the most polluting companies. We call for system change, community-owned renewable energy systems and rights for Indigenous Peoples and frontline communities, so they can continue to protect the ecosystems that nourish us and the planet.”
