Two months to the day from the COP 22 (Marrakesh, Morocco, 7-18 November), preparations are intensifying at the European Parliament for this crucial summit for keeping the momentum up on the Paris Climate Agreement that the MEPs on the environment committee want to be ratified later this year (see EUROPE 11614).
The environment committee members will give their views on Thursday 8 September on the position they wish the European Parliament to argue to ensure an ambitious EU contribution to COP 22. The very detailed draft report hails the Paris Agreement as historic progress in the fight against climate change, for multilateralism and global governance, and stresses the urgent need for ratification. It says that this first universal, binding agreement will, once implemented, help speed up in an irreversible manner the transition to a resilient and carbon-neutral economy.
The report also welcomes the commitment by all parties to keep the average rise in temperature well below 2 degrees Celsius compared with the pre-industrial era and to work to achieve 1.5° C.
The document stresses the urgent need to deal with the question of ambition for the period until 2020, to make progress on all COP 22 priority issues and the role of non-state players. The priority issues to be negotiated in Marrakesh are a strengthened transparency framework, details of the global balance sheet to be drawn up in 2023, new recommendations concerning the review of contributions set at national level, understanding the difference between loss and damage, financing the struggle against climate change, and boosting capabilities and a mechanism to facilitate implementation and promote conformity. The text stresses the need to begin talks on the form that the 2018 facilitation dialogue will take that is due to precede the 2023 global balance sheet.
The raft of amendments tabled and the debate among MEPs on 1 September in preparation for a vote reflect the scale and complexity of the task, along with the differences in sensitivity among the political groups. Julie Girling (ECR, United Kingdom) warned that a concise resolution would be required.
Compromise amendments have been lodged, especially by the S&D and EPP, explained Gilles Pargneaux (S&D, France). These amendments cover the creation of innovative financing, such as a tax on financial transactions, the setting of a minimum level for carbon prices, the introduction of a truly circular economy, breathing new life into renewable energy, scrapping subsidies for fossil fuels, boosting reductions in emissions for transport and agriculture for 2020 and 2030, delivering on the promised $100 billion via the Green Fund, renewable energy in Africa and recognising the status of refugees. Another amendment, this time tabled by Gilles Pargneaux, calls for ratification of the Paris Agreement by the EU without waiting for all 28 member states to do so.
Gerben Jan Gerbrandy (ALDE, the Netherlands) lodged amendments calling on the European Commission to analyse systemic risks (on the financial markets, for instance) connected with abrupt transition to a low-carbon economy, and to prepare a zero emissions strategy for the EU for 2050.
An amendment lodged by Peter Liese (EPP, Germany) aimed at reducing the European Parliament’s ambition regarding the EU's energy efficiency target or 2030 (the Parliament has always asked for 40% rather than at least 27%) was strongly criticised by the Greens. Liese said that 27% was too little, but 40% was too high, so he suggested a minimum of 0% with the option of going as high as 40%. Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA, the Netherlands) said any attempts to move backwards were doomed to failure and a majority can be achieved without the EPP.
Eickhout calls for the document to place greater emphasis on pre-2020 action, which tends to get overseen, although pre-2020 initiatives are crucial. He gave the example of the deal expected at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in October, whose lack of ambition is of great concern to MEPs, who are worried by the EU’s concessions.
Eickhout said the long-term EU objective did not go far enough and he urges the European Commission to adopt figures in 2018 for contributions that are more ambitions than the indicative contributions. He wonders when the Commission will propose a review of its roadmap for a low-carbon economy, given that an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050 is too low. A representative from the European Commission said that the Paris Agreement invites all parties to present their 2050 strategy by 2020, saying that the Commission has a roadmap and urges all other parties to submit their strategy. She said one would have to wait for the GIEC’s 2018 report to know the implications of the target of 1.5 degrees Celsius. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)