MEPs on the European Parliament’s Environment Committee on Monday backed amendments to the regional climate law that would require the EU’s 27 countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040.
Parliament’s position is consistent with the text agreed The reduction was announced by EU member states on November 5 after a long period of political consultation to ensure policy flexibility to allow EU member states to achieve the 90% reduction target without compromising the competitiveness of their industries.
After several postponements and infighting in the chamber, the vote, with 55 votes in favor and 32 against, clears the way for the controversial 2040 Climate Change Act to be adopted by the whole House.
Important points remain, including the target of a 90% reduction compared to 1990 levels by 2040 and the possibility of using carbon credits of up to 5% to offset unprofitable sectors.
An additional 5% will be taken into account under the review clause if EU countries need to make up for shortfalls in natural carbon removers, such as by planting trees outside the region.
Spanish lawmaker Javi López (S&D), who heads the parliament, hailed the vote as a “clear signal” reaffirming the EU’s commitment to climate leadership.
“S&D has worked tirelessly to ensure that the 2040 goals reflect both ambition and social equity. We want to protect the planet while ensuring no one is left behind. We must now focus on providing the tools, funding and industrial strategy needed to make this transition successful,” said López.
According to Dutch lawmaker Gerben-Jan Gerbrandi (Renew Europe), who also participated in the negotiations, only “minor changes” were agreed overall.
international carbon credits
Most important is the strengthening of the text on international trust, which states that it must be of “high quality” and “high integrity”, a reference that was included in the European Commission’s proposal but later removed by the European Council.
Parliament also wants to regulate the purchase and use of such credits to effectively lead to emissions reductions in non-EU countries.
The adopted document states that agreements related to the use of carbon credits must apply “strong safeguards to ensure integrity, avoidance of double counting, transparent governance, and strong monitoring, reporting and verification methodologies.”
According to the parliament, MPs also asked the European Commission to consider stricter standards than those set out in the Paris Agreement.
Thiemo Werken (Germany/S&D) admitted that the result was not as ambitious as the Socialists had intended, but said the forged deal was “better than no deal”.
“Congress has shown responsibility and solidarity in the face of climate skepticism and populism. We will continue to press for stronger action, greater investment in green jobs, and a fair deal for the workers and communities most affected by the transition,” Werken said.
Austrian lawmaker Lena Schilling (Green Party/EFA) regretted the decision to use international credits, calling it a “loophole” that “undermines our climate ambitions”.
“Now that member states have requested the use of[international credits]we must at least ensure that they deliver real and verifiable climate impacts. Otherwise, we risk undermining our climate goals without reducing emissions and costing taxpayers billions of dollars,” Schilling said.
The agreement was negotiated by the European People’s Party (EPP), the Social Democratic Party and Renew Europe, which form the centrist majority supporting the European Commission, as well as the Green Party/EFA group.
Together, these political groups represent a large majority in parliament, paving the way for the law to be approved in parliament’s environment committee on Monday, paving the way for full adoption in Strasbourg’s plenary session on Thursday.
