The agreement reached on the Climate Law between the three main EU institutions fails to deliver on ambition and science. The Left group in the European Parliament won’t support a Climate Law that drives an environmental race to the bottom in tomorrow’s vote.

Faced with a Climate Emergency, as the European Parliament declared in 2019, the EU must commit to radical cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, owning up to its historical responsibility, or risk climate chaos. The Left has called for a 70% cut by 2030 following science for a maximum of 1.5 ºC warming. [1]

Trilogue negotiations with the Council and Commission delivered an “at least 55% emissions reduction target for 2030,” violating the EU’s obligations under the Paris Agreement. [2]

“An ambitious Climate Law could have been at the heart of a real Green New Deal. But the final agreement on a 55% target reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 is unacceptable,” said Manon Aubry, the Left’s Co-President.

“This is far from the minimum 65% objective that is scientifically needed to meet the requirements of the Paris agreement! It is far less than what our Parliament has demanded. Not least because the survival of humankind depends on the political decisions we make today. Our group won’t back this irresponsible greenwashing.”

The Left proposes a Green and Social New Deal for Europe with radical action to tackle the climate emergency and a socially just transition.

For Co-President Martin Schirdewan, this Climate Law agreement shows once again that the EU shows style but has little to no substance:

“The agreement on the Climate Law demonstrates that the EU’s climate action is all smoke and mirrors. Commission President von der Leyen announced with fanfare Europe’s goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. While the Climate Law makes this commitment legally binding, it lacks the necessary ambition to make the EU a leader in the world stage and to encourage bolder action from other countries to tackle global warming.

“We need less posturing from the EU and more radical action that will save our planet from the threat of climate chaos. At the same time policies to support social justice for our citizens, must be prioiritised. The Left will continue to build alliances with progressive forces across the continent, the US and the Global South for truly ambitious climate commitments and financing. This fight isn’t over yet.”

[1] The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that warming above the 1.5C threshold significantly worsens the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people.

[2] The 55% net-emissions target translates to a 52.8% in real emission cuts in polluting sectors, like energy, transport and farming, because of the accounting of emissions that could potentially be absorbed by carbon sinks like forests.