Deirdre Clune (PPE). – Mr President, at the world’s climate summit taking place next week or next month, it’s important that progress is made there to tackle climate change. And an international challenge such as this can only be tackled with international cooperation and collaboration. We need governments, business, the public and private sectors to be involved if we are to deliver on our targets of 1.5 degrees. It’s very important the COP27 is taking place in Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt, a country on a continent that is experiencing the severe impacts of climate change.
Countries such as Somalia and Ethiopia have severe drought at the moment, which has led to crop failure, shortages of food and of course hunger. And the UN has predicted that more than 300 000 people in Somalia will be in famine by December of this year. So now is the time for action. I know that we will have a strong message delivered by countries such as Somalia and Ethiopia and many more nations experiencing the realities and the crisis that is climate change.
Our Fit for 55 package, outlining how Europe will move to our 2020 targets, is an important message to bring. But we need more and we need leadership from Europe. We also need decisions, strong decisions taken from all players.
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MEPs to G20: increase climate change targets before COP27
Parliament pushes for accelerated climate action worldwide and for the EU to remain a world leader in fighting climate change.
Parliament calls on all countries to step up their 2030 climate targets before COP27, to limit global warming in line with the Paris agreement.
On Thursday, Parliament adopted a resolution outlining its demands for the UN COP27 Climate Change Conference, taking place in Egypt on 6-18 November. MEPs consider the climate and biodiversity crises among the most important challenges facing humanity. They are concerned about the findings of the UNEP’s emissions gap report 2021, which says that even if the more ambitious national 2030 climate targets are implemented, the world is on a path towards a 2.7°C temperature increase, far above the Paris Agreement goals of limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing 1.5°C.
The resolution says Russia’s war against Ukraine, and its consequences, makes the transformation of the global energy system all the more urgent. Urgent action must be taken in this decade, they warn, even as many long-term net-zero emissions pledges are ambiguous and lack transparency.
G20 and EU must raise their 2030 climate targets
MEPs highlight that the EU will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 55% if it adopts Parliament’s positions on the EU’s ‘Fit for 55 in 2030’ package and the RePowerEU Plan. MEPs call on EU and all G20 nations to show leadership and to commit to more ambitious reduction targets ahead of COP27. The EU and other countries should also update their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) accordingly.
Climate finance to developing countries
The resolution recalls that the EU is the largest contributor of climate finance and urges developed countries to ensure that the USD 100 billion yearly climate finance goal they have promised to developing countries is met, and that money is already released in 2022, and that between 2020-2025 USD 100 billion is spent on average each year. MEPs also highlight Parliament’s position on the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) that the EU needs to provide financial support, at least equivalent in financial value to the revenues generated by the sale of CBAM certificates, to support the efforts of least developed countries to decarbonise their economies.
Parliament welcomes the creation of the Glasgow Dialogue on Loss and Damage, which should focus on funding developing countries, clearly prioritising grants over loans, to avert, minimize and address loss and damage associated with the adverse impacts of climate change.
The resolution was adopted by show of hands.
A delegation from Parliament will attend COP27 from 14-18 November.
Parliament is a co-legislator on EU energy and climate legislation to implement the Paris Agreement and before the EU can enter international agreements, Parliament must give its consent.
Parliament has been pushing for more ambitious EU climate and biodiversity legislation and declared a climate emergency on 28 November 2019. In June 2021, Parliament adopted the European Climate Law, which transforms the European Green Deal’s political commitment to EU climate neutrality by 2050 into a binding obligation for the EU and member states. Parliament is currently negotiating with member states on the “Fit for 55 in 2030 package" in order to enable the EU to reach the more ambitious 2030-target.
