The European Union has drafted a deal to curb greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030
The European Union has drafted a deal to eradicate greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, against 1990 levels, a target it hopes its 27 members will endorse at a summit next month, the document showed.
If the Dec 10-11 E.U. leaders’ meeting approves the draft conclusions seen by Reuters, it could make the E.U. the first major economy to submit a new climate pledge under the 2015 U.N. Paris climate agreement, before a year-end deadline to do so.
The current 2030 target for E.U. members, who make up the European Council, is a 40% cut in emissions from 1990 levels, already higher than the amount pledged by other big emitters such as China and the United States.
“The European Council endorses a binding E.U. target of a net reduction of at least 55% in domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990,” the draft said,
The bloc’s executive, the European Commission, proposed the target in September, saying anything less would fail to put the E.U. on track to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 – a target it has already signed up to meet.
The U.N. climate science panel, has said the world needs net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 to keep global temperature rises this century to below 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial times – the level required to avoid catastrophic climate change.
The document says the new 2030 target would be delivered “collectively” by E.U. countries – an assurance to countries concerned by the economic transformation that deeper emissions cuts will require.
That could soothe the Czech Republic, which has said it could support a 55% emissions cut if it is EU-wide, but not a national requirement.
The draft also says the target will reflect countries’ different national circumstances and that upcoming reforms to the E.U. carbon market will make funds available to help lower states invest in cleaner energy.
Coal-dependent Poland has said it needs more analysis of the economic fallout before signing up to a stricter climate target, and last month called for E.U. carbon market reforms to redirect revenues to poorer countries.
E.U. ambassadors will discuss the draft later on Wednesday. They or their leaders can alter it up to and during the summit to bring all the countries on board.
SOURCE:https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-eu-target/eu-drafts-deal-to-upgrade-2030-climate-change-target-next-month-idUSKBN28512S