The Paris Climate Agreement can now come into force in early November, having met the necessary conditions – so the time has come for the countries that have ratified it to boost their commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to contain global warming at well below 2 degrees Celsius, said MEPs in Strasbourg on Thursday 6 October.
A resolution adopted by the MEPs (by 467 votes to 94 with 55 abstentions) ahead of the COP 22 in Marrakech on 7-18 November stresses that the debate will now look at the tools to be implemented to make the deal operational and match the scale of the challenge.
The European Parliament broadly follows the position defended by its environment committee (see EUROPE 11620). The MEPs regret that the addition of national contributions thus far is well below allowing a reduction in global warming to 2 degrees Celsius and say it is urgent for all sides to boost their objectives and for the EU to commit to more ambitious targets for 2030. The emissions reduction trajectory foreseen for Climate/Energy 2030 is not aligned with the Paris targets, they explain.
Convinced that EU action alone will not suffice, the MEPs urge the European Commission and Council to encourage international partners to follow suit.
The Parliament wants the EU to boost its ambitions when it comes to medium and long-term targets too. It calls on the European Commission to prepare a strategy for achieving zero carbon emissions in 2050.
Concerned at the growing number of individuals displaced by natural disasters and adverse weather conditions (166 million between 2008 and 2013), the MEPs call for recognition of the problem of climate refugees and the fact that climate change in some parts of Africa and the Middle East could lead to deteriorating political stability, economic problems and a worsening of the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean.
The Parliament says new sources of financing for climate action are needed, such as introducing a tax on financial transactions and using some European carbon credits or income generated by measures to be taken to encourage international aviation and shipping to cut emissions. The aim is to ensure respect of the commitment to mobilise $100 billion a year by 2020.
Amendments with regard to Brexit that were lodged by British MEPs at the European Parliament’s committee, and endorsed by the plenary, call on the EU to maintain its climate objectives without taking account of changes in member states’ membership of the EU so that a country leaving the EU can remain part of the European carbon market. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)