More than 2,000 scientists from across the continent have urged EU leaders to commit to cutting emissions by 90-95 percent by 2040 at their summit meeting on Thursday (23 October).
The 2,178 signatories to an open letter timed their appeal to coincide with the European Council meeting, where heads of state will discuss political guidelines on the bloc's climate targets.
EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday told MEPs that: “Clean tech is not just a tool for cutting emissions — it is key to our competitiveness and key to the independence of the European Union, and we really have to fight for it.”
The letter points to scientific evidence indicating decarbonisation provides potential for investment, innovation, new jobs, and enhanced European technological leadership.
The EU is attempting to come to an agreement on the 2035 and 2040 climate targets — before the UN climate conference, COP30, in Brazil starting 10 November.
The bloc’s environment ministers were scheduled to agree on the laws already at a council meeting in September, but the decision stalled as several countries demanded a delay and deferred to their leaders.
EU member states such as France and Germany felt the decision should be taken at a higher level.
Joseph Dellatte, environmental researcher at the Institute Montaigne, told press on Tuesday: “The 90 percent of emissions target is not an environmental policy anymore, it’s an economic policy. It reaches such a high level of economic shift that you need to have a mandate coming from the highest level possible.”
The bloc's leaders are expected to have a discussion on climate during the council but leave the details and the final decision to the environmental council meeting on 4 November.
An EU official told reporters on Tuesday that “the objective of this debate is precisely not to weaken our climate ambitions and goals, but to discuss among leaders, how do we guarantee those climate goals?”
Decisions among the ministers can be reached more easily, as only a majority of member states is needed and not a unanimous position like with the bloc’s leaders.
The parliament can vote on the topic during a plenary session the following week, which will take place during Brazil's COP30.
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Hannah Kriwak is a junior reporter from Austria at EUobserver, covering European politics.
Hannah Kriwak is a junior reporter from Austria at EUobserver, covering European politics.