after months of separation And a meeting of EU environment ministers lasted into the night to pass reached a consensus But The bloc’s climate ambitions – It’s time to set new goals this year International Climate Summit.
In a last minute meeting just a few days before the start At the COP30 conference in the Brazilian city of Belém, ministers agreed on a plan, long proposed by the European Commission, to reduce the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040.
However, ministers clashed over the extent to which carbon credits could be used to meet the reduction target. The credits allow nations to buy carbon reductions made in projects elsewhere around the world.
While countries like Germany wanted to see only about 3% of total offsets globallyEU sources told DW that countries including France and Poland wanted to see a greater share of the total covered by offsets, through projects such as reforestation or renewables.
agreed goals It also serves as the basis for the 2035 reduction target for the bloc that it is obliged to meet under the Paris climate agreement. EU wants Reduce emissions by between 66.25% to 72.5% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels.
Under the terms of In the 2015 Paris Agreement, world leaders promised to limit the average global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and step up efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees.
The countries also agreed to renew and communicate their targets every five years. The latest submission deadline was earlier this year, But the EU and several other high-emitting countries, including China, missed this date. The remaining states are hesitant to announce their latest commitments to transition away from fossil fuels.
Emissions from burning coal, gas and oil are changing the Earth’s climate and causing an increase in droughts, floods, Storm and deadly heat.
countries Target is lagging behind in filing
As yet, Just over a third of the 195 parties have formally met their climate targets. This represents a little more than 60% of global emissions, according to World Resources Institute (WRI) analysts tracking the submission.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says national climate planIf the measures presented for 2035 are implemented, the temperature rise forecast would fall from about 2.6 degrees Celsius to 2.3 – a step he called “progress, but nowhere near enough”.
“Existing commitments still point to a climate breakdown,” he said, speaking as part of a video address at the release of the UN’s new emissions gap report.
Oho Said that this is “not a reason to surrender” but “a reason to step up and increase momentum.”
,1.5-degrees remains our north star by the end of the century and the science is clear, the goal is still within reach. But only if we meaningfully raise our ambition,” Guterres said.
China officially the world’s largest emitter Presented its national reduction targets in early November. It had earlier announced plans to reduce emissions by between 7% and 10% from its peak , one level Experts believe it has been reached or will be reached soon. While critics have called the pledge too low, analysts told DW that China will probably meet its commitment and possibly even exceed it.
“The infection is There is progress being made,” said Melanie Robinson, director of WRI’s Global Climate, Economics and Finance program, citing investments in solar energy. Electric vehicles, and climate finance. However, he said this is not happening fast enough.
Other large emitters that are formally Australia and Japan have been criticized for not showing strong ambition.
robinson Said”Leaders need to agree on a decisive global response to get back on track,” he said, adding that countries should ratify 1.5 degree target, accelerating sector-specific strategies to reduce emissions and clarifying pathways to achieving domestic net zero targets.
In In an analysis of the climate targets published in October, the UN said they show “progress in terms of quality, credibility and economic coverage”.
While promises to reduce emissions often make headlines, the plans also include targets for countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change and pledges of finance for developing states.
“The broader picture is of a world that is already paying a heavy price from global warming, but which is also closer to a positive economic turn – towards a safer, healthier, more prosperous world driven by clean energy and climate resilience,” it said. UN climate chief Simon Steele.
Edited by: Tamsin Walker