On Thursday 7 September in Brussels, MEPs from the environment committee will make their decision on the position they would like the EU to defend during the next Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP -23, 6-17 November). Judging by the draft resolution being examined, they are expected to demonstrate a high level of ambition in this respect.
Preparing the 2018 facilitating dialogue will be a major challenge for MEPs in an effort to ensure that the world has a chance of meeting the Paris Agreement targets and the increased objectives it advocates. The text on the table calls on the European Commission to begin launching the process for the upward revision of the nationally determined contributions (NDC), in the context of this dialogue. The Commission is also requested to draw up a European strategy to attain carbon neutrality by 2050, so that they can begin to pave the way ahead, with a good cost efficiency relationship, towards the carbon neutrality target contained in the Paris Agreement (balance between anthropic emissions by different sources and absorption through carbon sinks).
The major challenges highlighted in this text include: maintaining the integrity of the process, despite the US withdrawal announced on 1 June by US President Trump but which has still not been formally notified, including maritime transport and international aviation in collective efforts, $100 million funding for supporting climate action in developing countries up to 2020 and continuing with (up until 2025, as decided by the COP21) the ending of subsidies for fossil fuels.
Although President Donald Trump’s name was not mentioned, his responsibility is referred to in the outline. The text points out that limiting global warming to well below 2°C does not guarantee that we can avoid serious climate events. It also highlights the fact that global greenhouse gas emissions are expected to reach a peak extremely soon and that, “all the different parties should step up their efforts and revise their nationally determined contributions upwards”.
The draft resolution emphasises that the COP23 will be a “cornerstone” of the technical work that needs to be carried out in order to respect the commitment made in Marrakesh (COP 22) to conclude the work programme for defining the implementation rules included in the Paris Agreement.
It also highlights the importance of developing structured dialogue between the governments and nonstate actors, as well as including planning for and implementation of climate action. Similarly, it calls on the European Parliament to play an integral part in the EU delegation’s negotiations of the international agreements requiring its approval and it is invited to take part in the COP23 coordination meetings.
The text underlines the importance of climate change resilience and adaptation in all countries, particularly those in the developing world.
183 amendments were submitted but many of them are expected to be the subject of compromise amendments ahead of the vote. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)