EU Parliament gives boost to UN climate summit in Katowice and puts German government under pressure

Germanwatch welcomes MEPs' call for a higher EU climate target for 2030 and greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050 at the latest

Bonn (25 October 2018). The European Parliament is stepping up the pace on climate action. MEPs today gave the EU negotiating delegation for the UN climate summit in Katowice in December a mandate in which they call for the EU to raise its greenhouse gas reduction target from the current 40 per cent (below 1990 levels) to 55 per cent. The parliamentarians are aiming for greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050 at the latest, which would mean reducing emissions to almost zero. "We are pleased that the MPs are responding directly to the findings of the latest IPCC report on the 1.5-degree target," says Christoph Bals, Political Director of Germanwatch. "This is a wake-up call for the German government. The Grand Coalition should now finally support the European Parliament, the European Commission and the progressive member states in raising the EU climate targets for 2030 and 2050. The success of the upcoming climate summit in Poland will depend in part on whether the EU comes forward," said Bals.

The European Parliament supports the climate targets that the plaintiffs in the People's Climate Case are also calling for to protect their fundamental rights. The European legislator's response is eagerly awaited these days. Christoph Bals: "We hope that the forthcoming response by the European Parliament and the Council will also be characterised by this new departure in climate policy."

In the People's Climate Case, people affected by climate change are petitioning the EU to raise its climate targets.

Further information on the People's Climate Case can be found at: www.peoplesclimatecase.de