Ladies and Gentlemen,
under the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union agreed on a European Climate Law this morning. Significant progress had been made on the draft law under the German Council Presidency.
In response to this agreement, Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze remarked:
“The new European Climate Law does more than just set the course, it makes climate action in the EU binding and irreversible. We successfully campaigned for this binding promise under Germany’s Council Presidency. I am therefore all the more pleased that the European Parliament and the member states have now reached an agreement. The European Climate Law establishes clear guidelines for policymakers and businesses in Europe.
The climate targets are enshrined in European law for the first time. This means that the EU is gearing all its policies towards becoming climate neutral by 2050. This will enable Europe to make a significant contribution to combating dangerous climate change and meeting the targets set out in the Paris Agreement. We are entering the most important phase: the aim is now to lower carbon emissions across the EU by at least 55 percent compared to 1990 levels. The emphasis is on ‘at least’. If we succeed in restoring European peatlands and forests to a better state, we could reach more than 55 percent. For Germany, the agreement means that we will also significantly step up the pace of climate action. We must accelerate the expansion of solar and wind energy and we will phase out coal-powered energy sooner than previously planned. The EU has taken a strong stance with this agreement. It is now vital that other major economies, particularly the US and China, show their commitment to raising their climate targets.”
With regards,
Your BMU Press Office
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