The European Commission today
publishes a new climate law that Friends of the Earth Europe says does
not represent emergency action for the climate crisis.
Climate law lacks new target for 2030
Heralded as a cornerstone of the
European Green Deal, the proposal will set into law the well-known goal of net
‘climate neutrality’ by 2050 (up from 80-95% currently). But the Commission
fails to outline an improved target for emissions cuts in 2030 - meaning the EU
risks going empty handed to crunch UN climate talks in Glasgow at the end of
the year.
Molly Walsh, climate justice
campaigner for Friends of the Earth Europe said:
“A target 30 years in the future does
not represent emergency climate action - our house is on fire and Europe is
still twiddling its thumbs. We need to end the fossil fuel age in years, not
decades, to keep the planet safe.”
Real zero not 'net' zero
Friends of the Earth Europe also
criticised the nature of the ‘climate neutrality’ goal. The proposed law relies
heavily on removal of CO2 from the atmosphere, betting on carbon sinks, offsets and
unproven technologies.
Molly Walsh said:
“Europe is betting on unproven
technologies and carbon sinks to suck up carbon we belched into the atmosphere,
when we should be ending fossil fuels. Europe must do our fair share to keep
global heating below 1.5 degrees - meaning real zero carbon emissions and
fast.”
Greta Thunberg this morning addresses
the college of EU Commissioners in Brussels. In a letter to EU leaders she and
33 other young activists slam the climate law as a ‘surrender’ and demand targets for 2030 and
2020.
"'Net zero emissions by 2050' for the EU equals
surrender."
I have - with 33 other climate strikers from all across Europe - written an
open letter to EU leaders ahead of the presentation of the proposed climate
law.#EUClimateLaw
@CarbonBrief https://t.co/kzx425gSwh
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) March 3, 2020
On Friday (6 March), Greta Thunberg
and other inspiring youth climate strikers take to the streets in Brussels to call for climate
justice - with leaders’ delays risking alienating young people.