EC Proposes Climate Law, Sets Climate Neutrality Target for 2050
EC presents a proposal for the first European Climate Law that aims to enshrine in legislation the political commitment of EU to be climate-neutral by 2050. The European Climate Law sets the 2050 target and the direction of travel for all EU policy. EC also launched a public consultation on the future European Climate Pact, which is open until May 27, 2020. The inputs from this public consultation will be instrumental to shape the Climate Pact before its launch later in 2020. In addition, the questions and answers (Q&A) on European Climate Law and Climate Pact, along with the remarks of the EC President Ursula von der Leyen, were published.
With the European Climate Law, EC proposes a legally binding target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The EU institutions and the member states are collectively bound to take the necessary measures at the EU and the national levels to meet the target. The Climate Law includes measures to keep track of progress and adjust actions accordingly. Progress will be reviewed every five years, in line with the global stocktake exercise under the Paris Agreement. The Climate Law also addresses the pathway to get to the 2050 target:
- Based on a comprehensive impact assessment, EC will propose a new 2030 EU target for greenhouse gas emission reductions. The Climate Law will be amended once the impact assessment is completed.
- By June 2021, EC will review, and where necessary propose to revise, all relevant policy instruments to achieve the additional emission reductions for 2030.
- EC proposes the setting of a 2030-2050 EU-wide trajectory for greenhouse gas emission reductions, to measure progress and give predictability to public authorities, businesses, and citizens.
- By September 2023, and every five years thereafter, EC will assess the consistency of EU and national measures with the climate-neutrality objective and the 2030-2050 trajectory.
- EC will be empowered to issue recommendations to member states whose actions are inconsistent with the climate-neutrality objective and member states will be obliged to take due account of these recommendations or to explain their reasoning if they fail to do so. EC can also review the adequacy of the trajectory and the Union wide measures.
- Member states will also be required to develop and implement adaptation strategies to strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to the effects of climate change.
The public consultation on the new European Climate Pact is a broad initiative to give citizens and stakeholders a voice and role in designing new climate actions, sharing information, launching grassroots activities, and showcasing solutions that others can follow. The inputs will be used to shape the Climate Pact, which will be launched before the United Nations Climate Change Conference that is expected to take place in Glasgow in November 2020. Additionally, EC is officially launching the work on two important policy instruments under the European Green Deal with the publication of the inception impact assessments on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and the review of the Energy Taxation Directive.
Related Links
- Press Release and Related Documents
- European Climate Law
- European Climate Pact
- Q&A
- Remarks of EC President
Comment Due Date: May 27, 2020 (European Climate Pact)
Keywords: Europe, EU, Banking, Insurance, Securities, Climate Change Risk, ESG, European Climate Law, European Climate Pact, Paris Agreement, Q&A, EC
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