In the draft concept for the European Green Deal leaked to the media yesterday, the new European Commission pledges to propose an increase of the EU 2030 climate target, but only in October 2020, which is far too late. This would mean that the EU would miss the Paris Agreement deadline for increasing targets in 2020.
At a plenary session held today, the European Parliament declared climate emergency and called upon EU decision makers to take action accordingly, but did little to advance real change.
By the end of the year, EU countries will have to submit their final National Energy and Climate Plans to present how they will contribute to the EU’s 2030 climate and energy targets. A new report released today indicates how much progress has been made since the European Commission published its recommendations on each Member State’s draft NECP. Despite some improvements, Member States need to do more in the next month to ensure that they at least meet the EU’s 2030 objectives, let alone the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
Speaking at the European Parliament on the occasion of the approval of her Commission, the new Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen reiterated that the fight against climate change will be one of her main policy priorities.
The UN Environment Emissions Gap Report 2019 [1] published today shows that in 2020, countries need to dramatically strengthen their 2030 climate targets and sharply accelerate emission cuts.
After a year marked by unprecedented public mobilisation for increased climate action, the UN Climate Summit COP25 coinciding with the December European Council and the start of the new European Commission’s mandate, offer a key opportunity to step up EU action on the climate crisis.
Yesterday the Secretariat of the Energy Community, the international treaty integrating the energy markets of the EU and its neighbours, published its Annual Implementation Report. The report shows that none of the Energy Community member states which have coal in their energy mix are in compliance with the emission ceilings established under their National Emission Reduction Plans (NERPs) for at least one of the three pollutants (nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and dust) of the Large Combustion Plants Directive (LCPD).
Today the EU Member States, who are the owners of the European Investment Bank, voted in favour of a new energy lending policy which would considerably limit loans to fossil fuel projects.
In 2018 the EU provided EUR 21.7 billion in climate finance to developing countries, according to EU Council conclusions adopted today ahead of the UN Climate Summit COP25.
Latest climate and energy preliminary data published today by the European Environment Agency show that greenhouse gas emissions have decreased in the EU from 2017 to 2018, but that progress in renewable energy share and energy efficiency is clearly too slow.
Nicolas Derobert
Communications Coordinator
nicolas /at/ caneurope.org
Work: +32 2894 4673
Mobile: +32 483 621 888
Stevan Vujasinović
Communications Coordinator for Southeast Europe
stevan /at/ caneurope.org
Mobile: +381 (0)63 390 218
Goksen Sahin
Communications Coordinator
goksen /at/ caneurope.org
Work: +32 2893 0827
Mobile: +32 468 453 920
