Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe published its annual report for 2022 on Friday 28 April, outlining its main achievements over the past year.
This was an opportunity for the leading coalition of European climate change NGOs to revisit its programme to influence ‘Fit for 55’, the climate and energy legislative package to operationalise the ‘European Green Deal’. CAN Europe has thus started 2022 by working towards a much higher ambition - a 65% reduction in emissions by 2030 - which would give the EU, according to the report, “a greater chance of limiting the temperature increase to 1.5°C”, “in an appropriate and equitable manner”.
Contacted by Agence Europe, Klaus Röhrig, Head of Climate at CAN Europe, justifies this objective by recalling that in view of the 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, “recommended by the IPCC to the whole world, the EU has a historic responsibility”.
“The EU is a very strong industrialised economy and, in terms of fair share, it should contribute more to the global fight against the climate emergency”, explains Mr Röhrig, who also points out that “the 55% figure includes the elimination of emissions”. However, in his view, carbon absorption should be additional to emission reductions.
Furthermore, while the European network considers that the consequences of the war in Ukraine have given EU decision-makers more reason to act and present bold policies, both in the framework of ‘Fit for 55’ and ‘REPowerEU’, it notes two major shortcomings: a lack of commitment to phasing out fossil fuels and ending subsidies for them, and insufficient support for people during the energy crisis. A real “social imbalance”, according to Klaus Röhrig.
To read the report: https://aeur.eu/f/6mm (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)