On Thursday 13 November, the European Parliament adopted, at first reading, its position on the intermediate climate target, as part of the European Climate Law aimed at achieving EU climate neutrality by 2050. This position largely aligns with that of the EU Council and targets a reduction of at least -85% in domestic emissions by 2040.
Sophie Wilmès responds: “We were among the first, in the working meetings, to put forward a more realistic target than the one proposed by the European Commission, while many other colleagues stuck to an overly strict target. With the Council's position and the compromise voted in the Environment Committee, a more pragmatic vision has prevailed”.
As a reminder, in February 2024 the Commission recommended a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 90% within fifteen years compared with 1990. Last summer, the European executive put forward the idea of introducing flexibility measures, including the acquisition of international carbon credits, up to 3%. On 4 November, the EU Council in turn backed a target of -85% in domestic emissions (5% for international carbon credits), with the review clause allowing member states to use up to 5% international carbon credits towards their national targets. The implementation of the new ETS2 carbon market is postponed by one year.
On 10 November, the Environment Committee (ENVI) approved a compromise position, supported by the pro-European parties (EPP, Renew and S&D), almost identical to the one adopted by the Council.
Sophie Wilmès explains: “the previous legislature was marked by a certain haste and rigidity in developing climate policies, which created much misunderstanding and sometimes rejection among citizens. Today, it is not about abandoning our climate ambition altogether, as the far right and climate sceptics would want, but about adopting an approach more in line with everyday realities and everyone's capacity to adapt. Without this, we risk a rupture, and in that case, I can guarantee that any climate target will become permanently unattainable. The new target avoids too strong an acceleration and intensity of decarbonisation efforts. We should therefore broadly keep the same pace after 2030. On the other hand, we believe a review clause is essential given the current geopolitical instability. As is postponing the entry into force of ETS2, which does not yet offer sufficient guarantees to mitigate as much as possible the effects on purchasing power and competitiveness.”