Civil society expectations are rising ahead of COP25 (Madrid, 2-13 December) and a double vote by the European Parliament which could, on Thursday 28 November, increase pressure on the European Council on 12 and 13 December.
“Our house is on fire. People around the world are suffering and nature is collapsing. If the EU listens to UN scientists and takes action now to drastically cut emissions by 2030, we could prevent the most severe consequences for our planet”, Greenpeace said on Wednesday 27 November.
However, the EU’s negotiating position for COP25 has already been agreed and, if the EU wishes to take the lead in leading by example to raise global ambition, it does not plan to update its 2030 target until next year (see EUROPE 12342/1).
Commissioner Cañete reiterated this to MEPs, emphasising the EU’s priorities for this COP: – begin to examine how all parties to the Paris Agreement will respond to the growing demand from citizens around the world for greater and more decisive action; – agree on market measures under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement; – complete the review of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage; – foster cooperation for the oceans by all.
The European Parliament vote in plenary session should not deviate too much from the recommendations of its Environment Committee (see EUROPE 12365/16).
It can be expected to support the EU’s climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest and to update the EU’s 2030 target to 55% (instead of at least 40%) compared to 1990. Admittedly, the EPP group champions a minimum target of 50% and refuses 55% unconditionally, to stick to what Ursula von der Leyen announced, namely 50%, then 55% after an impact assessment.
But the previous Parliament had already voted for 55%, before COP24 (see EUROPE 12125/3). It would be unthinkable to aim lower at a time when the climate and environmental emergency could be declared on Thursday (see EUROPE 12377/7, 12374/9).
Climate emergency of variable intensity. A compromise could be reached between the Renew Europe, S&D and GUE/NGL groups. Their joint draft resolution declares a climate and environmental emergency and calls on the Commission, Member States and all global actors to take urgent and concrete measures to combat and contain this threat before it is too late.
It urges the new Commission to fully assess the climate and environmental impact of all relevant legislative and budgetary proposals and to ensure that they are all fully in line with the objective of limiting global warming to less than 1.5 °C and that they do not contribute to biodiversity loss.
The draft resolution specifies that this emergency situation should never be used to erode democratic institutions or to infringe fundamental rights
Single seat? For the Greens/EFA, the text lacks ambition since, in their view, the status quo would not lead much beyond 55% if all the legislation in the Climate and Clean Energy package were implemented and the adoption of Parliament’s single seat they were calling for from 2020 was not included.
Amendments have been tabled by the Greens/EFA, in particular to raise the 2030 target to 65% and by the EPP, to replace the word ‘emergency’ by ‘urgency’, considered less likely to create panic (see EUROPE 12377/7).
The ECR (conservative and reformist) group, which had tabled a draft resolution on climate emergency denouncing Parliament’s monthly ‘transhumance’, which “creates between 11,000 and 19,000 tonnes of CO2 per year”, tabled an amendment to the resolution on COP25 (Amendment 16 §2). This would involve inviting EU governments to agree on a single seat and end the huge carbon footprint created by the shuttle agreement.
“The dual seat system is a relic of the past that has no place in a modern world”, said Geoffrey Van Orden (ECR, Britain). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)