Wednesday

31st May 2023

EU must do more to fight climate change, report says

  • The EU needs to introduce more policies if it wants to remain on the pathway to achieve its long-term climate goals (Photo: Tambako The Jaguar)

Europe needs to introduce farther-reaching policies if it wants to achieve its long-term climate target, the EU's most important environmental body said in a report published Tuesday (3 March).

“The projected reductions of EU greenhouse gas emissions as result of implemented policies are insufficient to bring the EU on a pathway towards the 2050 decarbonisation target”, the European Environment Agency (EEA) writes in its quinquennial report "The European environment - state and outlook'.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The earth's climate is changing due to human activities, but its impact may be limited if the average global temperature does not increase by more than two degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial times.

To stay below those two degrees, scientists say the member states of the EU have to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 95 percent in 2050 (compared to 1990). The EU has adopted that goal.

However, reaching that goal “will be challenging”, the EEA writes.

The EU is close to achieving its shorter term target, being “very close” to meeting a 20 percent emissions reduction in 2020.

But existent measures “will be insufficient ” to achieve a 40 percent reduction by 2030, as agreed by EU government leaders in October 2014, let alone achieving the 2050 target.

The 2030 target was part of a so-called framework package on energy and climate, which the commission will elaborate into concrete proposals in the coming years.

“With the 2030 package, we are not there yet”, the agency's executive director Hans Bruyninckx told this website.

“I think everybody realises that it needs to be further developed”, he added.

Last week, the European Commission reaffirmed in a policy paper its ambition to “decarbonize” the economy. It announced legislation to revise the EU's emission trading system, and said a Renewable Energy Package will be proposed by 2017.

However, the paper fell short of specifying detailed proposals.

In some of the member states, there are doubts about the EU's long-term goal of decarbonizing its economy.

When asked about the policy paper and the EEA prediction, Poland's climate envoy Marcin Korolec said that the EU's decarbonization targets for 2050 were not “feasible”.

“Concerning decarbonization, I feel that taking today's technologies and today's situation in Europe, it is probably unrealistic”, Korolec told this website at a press briefing in Brussels on Monday.

“Taking into account existing technologies and in particular the existing economic situation of the Union, I don't see [as] feasible decarbonization of 90 percent in the perspective of 2050. Simply, I don't see an engine for that in Europe.”

Poland's climate envoy, a former environment minister, joked that by “2050, I hope I will not be on duty by that time”.

“We agreed a framework [with] the perspective of 2030. Let's concentrate now [on how] to deliver what we agreed on for 2030, that will require additional discussions and additional decisions”, said Korolec.

The European Union has about 500 directives, regulations, and decisions related to environmental law, according to the report, which praises many of the EU's environmental past policies.

“The overall findings point to successes in reducing environmental pressures … In many parts of Europe, the local environment is arguably in as good a state today as it has been since the start of industrialisation. Reduced pollution, nature protection and better waste management have all contributed”, the report noted.

“However, in several cases, local environmental trends continue to be a cause for concern, often due to insufficient implementation of agreed policies”.

PFAS 'forever chemicals' cost society €16 trillion a year

Researchers found that global societal costs of the so-called forever chemicals or PFAS amount to €16 trillion per year. Meanwhile, the bigger producers of these chemicals are also among the ones spending the most to lobby EU policies.

EU: national energy price-spike measures should end this year

"If energy prices increase again and support cannot be fully discontinued, targeted policies to support vulnerable households and companies — rather than wide and less effective support policies — will remain crucial," the commission said in its assessment.

EU: national energy price-spike measures should end this year

"If energy prices increase again and support cannot be fully discontinued, targeted policies to support vulnerable households and companies — rather than wide and less effective support policies — will remain crucial," the commission said in its assessment.

Opinion

EU export credits insure decades of fossil-fuel in Mozambique

European governments are phasing out fossil fuels at home, but continuing their financial support for fossil mega-projects abroad. This is despite the EU agreeing last year to decarbonise export credits — insurance on risky non-EU projects provided with public money.

Latest News

  1. Want to stop forced migration from West Africa? Start by banning bottom trawling
  2. Germany unsure if Orbán fit to be 'EU president'
  3. EU Parliament chief given report on MEP abuse 30 weeks before sanction
  4. EU clashes over protection of workers exposed to asbestos
  5. EU to blacklist nine Russians over jailing of dissident
  6. Russia-Ukraine relations the Year After the war
  7. Why creating a new legal class of 'climate refugees' is a bad idea
  8. Equatorial Guinea: a 'tough nut' for the EU

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. InformaConnecting Expert Industry-Leaders, Top Suppliers, and Inquiring Buyers all in one space - visit Battery Show Europe.
  2. EFBWWEFBWW and FIEC do not agree to any exemptions to mandatory prior notifications in construction
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us