Today the European Parliament, Commission and Council have taken a step in the right direction by agreeing to end coal subsidies by 2025, paving the way for a European-wide coal phase out. However the biggest polluters still got to buy some time despite the urgency of climate change. With only twelve years left to act to keep temperature rise below 1.5°C and thus avoid catastrophic impacts of climate change as highlighted in the latest IPCC report, every cent spent on coal will be costly for the climate as well as for European taxpayers.
As the COP24 climate summit comes to an end, it is clear that governments have failed to adequately respond to the catastrophic impacts of climate change that were highlighted in the landmark IPCC report on 1.5°C. Based on a now widely operational Paris Agreement the next two years need to be used to build far-reaching transformational partnerships and reach the level of ambition science makes clear is necessary.
As the COP24 climate summit draws to a close, negotiators are still struggling to agree on a significant commitment to strengthen all countries’ climate pledges by 2020.
Today EU heads of state and government meeting at a European Council had a discussion on the timing, but less on the content of the next long-term EU budget.
In the context of COP24 in Katowice, all Member States must rapidly step up and agree on a budget that is fully in line with the Paris Agreement, with increased spending on climate action, efficient mechanisms to climate-proof expenditures across all funding programmes, and excluding support for fossil fuels.
Today at the COP24 climate summit in Katowice, Poland a coalition of countries, including the EU, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, committed to increase their climate targets by 2020. The commitment is a response to the findings of the landmark IPCC 1.5°C report.
Today Austria won the shameful Fossil of the Day Award from Climate Action Network (CAN) International. Austria was given this dubious award because it is failing as the president of the EU to end subsidies to coal power plants in the current EU electricity market negotiations, while the the bloc underperforms on climate finance for developing countries, which are at the forefront of the worsening impacts of climate change.
Commenting on the US delegation side event promoting coal at COP24 today, Joanna Flisowska from CAN Europe said:
The Climate Change Performance Index 2019 (CCPI), published today at the climate summit COP24 by Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute and Climate Action Network (CAN) shows that three years after the adoption of the Paris Agreement, none of the 56 evaluated countries nor the EU are doing enough to achieve the temperature goals agreed in Paris. Countries must urgently increase their targets and scale up action to implement them.
As the first week of this year’s climate summit COP24 draws to a close, a unique gathering of businesses, investors, local authorities, trade unions and NGOs are calling upon EU Ministers arriving at the COP next week to commit to significantly increase the current EU climate commitments by 2020, in order to secure a successful outcome of the summit.
Updated on 8 December 2018, 1.30am: Just before Zanna was put on the train back to Vienna, the Polish government recognised its mistake and allowed her to enter Poland. At the moment, we dont have information about the other activists who have been denied entry and/or deported.
CAN Europe’s Climate Ambition Project Coordinator, Zanna Vanrenterghem has been denied entry to Poland to attend the UN climate summit COP24. During the last days, Polish authorities have denied entry and/or deported at least 13 members of civil society groups that were due to attend the COP24 climate talks.
Ania Drążkiewicz
Head of Communications
ania /at/ caneurope.org
Work: +32 2894 4675
Mobile: +32 494 525 738
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
