The European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) decided on Tuesday 17 May to align itself with the European Commission’s position on increasing Member States’ national greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets by 2030, by approving the amended draft report by Jessica Polfjärd (EPP, Sweden) on the revision of the Climate Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR).
Adopted in 2018, the ‘ESR’ regulation sets national targets for 2030 for the reduction of GHG emissions that are not covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) or the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) regulation (see other news).
These are mainly emissions from road transport, heating of buildings, agriculture, small industrial installations and waste management, accounting for about 60% of EU emissions.
In order for EU countries to meet their national targets and thus contribute to the collective effort, annual emission allowances are set for each Member State and are gradually reduced until 2030. The regulation also includes flexibilities to help Member States meet their national target.
In its revision proposal presented in mid-July 2021, the European Commission plans to increase the current national contributions so that they lead to an EU-wide reduction in emissions from the ‘ESR’ sectors of at least 40% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, an increase of 11 percentage points compared to the current target (see EUROPE 12762/2). The new contributions range from a 10% reduction in emissions (Bulgaria) to a 50% reduction (Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg).
Mrs Polfjärd’s amended draft report, approved by a large majority (61 votes in favour, 20 against and 6 abstentions), is in line with this objective, maintaining the national contributions proposed by the European Commission.
It does, however, include amendments to strengthen the original text.
MEPs want to: - introduce a link with the ‘Climate Law’ (see EUROPE 12748/11) through the production of a report establishing, for each Member State, an emission reduction pathway covered by the ESR “compatible with the objective of climate neutrality for each Member State by 2050 at the latest”; - work towards the adoption of a legislative proposal setting one or more non-CO2 GHG emission reduction targets for 2030 in all ESR sectors; - introduce more transparency for Member States’ actions under the ESR Regulation so that they can be better held accountable in case of non-compliance; - restrict the flexibilities to borrow, bank and transfer emission allowances (see EUROPE 12952/4).
In addition, the draft report calls for more attention to be paid to emissions from biomass combustion plants to ensure that the use of so-called sustainable fuels does not lead to higher emissions than fossil fuels.
The report will be put to a vote of all MEPs at the Parliament’s plenary session in early June in Strasbourg. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)