EU total emissions should be reduced by 60% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. At least that is what MEPs think in a vote in Brussels.
After two intense days of debate, the European Parliament has voted on the climate law presented by the European Commission this spring.
There is no major battle around the main goal – a climate-neutral EU by 2050. However, there are divided opinions on how this should be done. In the first place, the dispute concerns how much emissions should have decreased on the road, in 2030, compared with the level in 1990.
European Parliament Environment Committee have voted for 60 percent. However, the majority of Conservative MPs want to stay at 55%, which is also what the European Commission is committed to. At the same time, the environmental movement urges Parliament to “seize the opportunity” and go even higher, at least to 65 percent.
What the figure will eventually be, however, will not be decided until after negotiations with EU member states, which will agree on their line later in October. So far, the EU has had the goal of reducing emissions by 20 percent by 2030.
Two other disputes in Parliament, the question is whether the EU after 2050 should also aim for negative targets in emissions, and whether the zero target for 2050 should apply only to the EU as a whole or to all EU countries.
Swedish Member Jytte Guteland (S) is responsible for Parliament’s consideration of the law and has piloted the changes that Parliament wants to see.
Source: ICELAND NEWS
