The European Union has a new climate goal. By 2040, member states must emit 90 percent less greenhouse gases compared to 1990, before becoming climate neutral in 2050. The long-awaited goal remains ambitious, but has been softened here and there.
In all European member states, the emission of greenhouse gases such as CO2 must be reduced by 90 percent by 2040. It was already established that this should be 55 percent by 2030. By 2050, member states must be climate neutral. This means that they no longer emit anything or compensate for their emissions. An ‘interim target’ for 2040 should make it easier for member states to achieve the mandatory target of 2050.
It was already known that the climate goal was coming, but on this warm Wednesday it was officially announced by European Commissioners Wopke Hoekstra (Climate and Green Growth) and Teresa Ribera (Green Transition). “With this we are taking the next step to give an impulse to European competition, independence and the reduction of emissions,” says Hoekstra at the announcement in Brussels.
The climate goal is based on a weighty scientific advice from the European Climate Council. They advised to reduce emissions by 90-95 percent. The Commission has therefore adhered to this, but has opted for the lower limit. The Commission also wants to focus more on CO2 removal and storage.
The Commission also wants member states to purchase a maximum of 3 percent of ‘carbon credits’ from outside the European Union from 2036. This is a way to compensate for emissions abroad, so you can emit more. There is criticism of this: environmental organizations call it a ‘backdoor’ and MEPs from the Greens believe that the responsibility is being passed on.
That criticism is not entirely justified, says Professor of Environmental Science Detlef van Vuuren. “Last year, the EU decided that they wanted to go faster. Actually, that plan has largely remained in place,” he says. “We are still going down 90 percent, of which 3 percent is potentially abroad. So that is still 87 percent here.”
He outlines that if you were to draw the target for 2030 with a ruler, you would end up at 80 percent. “This target is still ambitious,” concludes Van Vuuren.
‘Extremely complicated context’ for climate ambition
The climate goal was announced months later than initially intended. About that Hoekstra says: “It is a sensitive subject, and we really took the time to think about it strategically.” According to the European Commissioner, they have sat down with all kinds of parties in politics and business.
“The context is extremely complicated,” says Hoekstra. He mentions the geopolitical unrest in the world and security, but also the European competitive position that is under pressure. With the plan, the Commission wants to pursue ambitious climate policy, offer companies perspective and become more independent from abroad. The EU imports oil and gas on a large scale.
The European Parliament and the Environmental Council must also agree to the goal. Last week it became clear that France, among others, wanted to postpone the objectives. Hoekstra himself is at least satisfied with “his” new climate goal: “We have done something brilliant today,” he says in Brussels.
Van Vuuren: “Ultimately, the sooner we go to zero as a world, the better. But we are running up against the limits of what we can do technically and what there is support for.”