Germany and France fail to muster support for EU climate action
20 June 2019by greenpeace -- last modified 20 June 2019
After talks at an EU summit in Brussels, European leaders have failed to back an EU target to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and passed up the last opportunity to raise the EU's current 2030 targets ahead of a crucial UN climate summit in September.
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Greenpeace EU climate policy adviser Sebastian Mang said: "Hollow words can't rebuild a house flattened in a mudslide or repay a farmer who's lost their harvest to drought. Merkel and Macron failed to convince Poland and bring others on board. With people on the streets demanding action and warnings from scientists that the window to respond is closing fast, our governments had a chance to lead from the front and put Europe on a rapid path to full decarbonisation. They blew it."
"European leaders must call for an emergency EU climate summit to salvage Europe's credibility ahead of a crucial UN meeting in September," added Mang.
A vast majority of governments supported the European Commission's proposed target of net-zero emissions by 2050 in the lead up to the EU summit, with several countries, including Germany, only confirming their support late in the negotiations. Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Estonia opposed the target. The agreement only notes in a footnote that a "large majority" of countries supported a 2050 target and does not mention plans to increase the EU's 2030 target.
Greenpeace is calling on the EU to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 65% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels) and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, in line with scientific advice to prevent a full-blown climate crisis. A net-zero target would require almost completely eliminating greenhouse gas emissions, with any remaining emissions compensated for by measures like planting trees.
Greenpeace uses non-violent creative action to pave the way towards a greener, more peaceful world, and to confront the systems that threaten our environment.
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