EU sets out vision for global climate agreement

Targets for 2030 set last October form the basis of the EU’s pledge towards a successor to the Kytoto Protocol

The European Commission (EC) has submitted the EU’s ‘intended nationally determined contribution’ (INDC) for the UN climate change conference to be held in Paris later this year. The EU’s proposed contribution takes the form of a reaffirmation of its climate and energy targets set in October 2014 – to reduce EU emissions by at least 40% by 2030 on 1990 levels.

The EU’s INDC is the second contribution submitted in advance of the COP21 UN climate meeting – a conference touted as a critical to implementing a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Each nation involved in the process is expected to submit its INDC, a pledge on emissions action, to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change before the summer.

Before the EU submitted its final INDC, and as part of the EC’s Energy Union proposals (see page *), the EC released a communication: The Paris Protocol – a blueprint for tackling global climate change beyond 2020.

In the communication, the EC said that commitments made in Paris should put the world on track to reduce global emissions by at least 60% below 2010 levels by 2050. Scientific consensus says this is within the upper and lower boundaries to keep the world below 2°C of warming; but it is inadequate to hit a 1.5°C target, which is also up for discussion in Paris.

The EU said it is seeking a transparent and dynamic legally binding agreement at COP21, containing fair and ambitious commitments from all Parties based on evolving global economic and geopolitical circumstances.

Commenting on the plans, Rhian Kelly, UK CBI Business Environment Director, said: ‘The EU has laid its cards on the table: these are ambitious, but achievable, goals if the right policies are in place. This should encourage other nations to step up to the mark to create an agreement at the Paris Summit later this year that supports growth, competitiveness and decarbonisation.’

Meanwhile, UN climate talks in Geneva in February ended with an agreement on a formal draft negotiating text for the Paris meeting. BSRIA said that the 86 page document, representing the views of 195 countries, leaves none of the delegates underestimating the task left ahead of them as they reconvene for further talks in June.