On Monday 21 February, the Foreign Ministers of the European Union Member States adopted the EU Council conclusions calling on the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, to step up active climate diplomacy to accelerate the implementation of the COP26 Glasgow outcomes.
Under a common ‘Team Europe’ approach, the EU and its Member States will “engage with partners around the world to address the still existing and emerging challenges and will actively work on the implementation of various sectoral initiatives and calls, stemming from Glasgow” (see EUROPE 12832/14), the conclusions state in particular.
They also stress the need to systematically integrate human rights into climate action and energy diplomacy, given the risks that climate change poses to the implementation of human rights, human security and global peace and stability.
Climate finance
Noting the lack of climate finance (see EUROPE 12793/3), Member States urge other developed countries to “contribute to reach the $100 billion mobilisation goal in 2022, but certainly no later than 2023”, and call on development banks and international financial institutions to play a catalytic role in redirecting private financial flows towards sustainable and green investments.
Fossil fuels
The conclusions also reaffirm the EU Council’s call (see EUROPE 12643/9) for the phasing out of coal-fired power plants not coupled with carbon capture and storage technologies and for an immediate halt to all funding of new coal infrastructure in third countries.
On fossil oil and gas, the EU Council calls on the High Representative and the Commission to intensify work and advocacy at the international level “on ending environmentally harmful fossil fuel subsidies along a clear timeline”.
See the conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/er (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)