The European Parliament has adopted a resolution declaring a state of climate emergency in the European Union. Passed by a vote of 429 to 225, the resolution came ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference – COP25 in Madrid in December 2019.
“The fact that Europe is the first continent to declare a climate and environmental emergency, just before the [UN summit], when the new Commission takes office, and three weeks after Donald Trump confirmed the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, is a strong message sent to citizens and the rest of the world,” said Pascal Canfin, chair of the parliament’s Environment Committee.
The European Parliament also called on negotiators attending the UN summit to complete the rulebook for the Paris Agreement. It also suggested the EU should raise its Paris pledge beyond the current commitment of at least 40% emission reductions by 2030 to 55%. These reductions are from 1990 levels.
However, critics labelled the summit a failure after key negotiations were pushed back to the next meeting, in Glasgow in 2020.
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The European Parliament has adopted a resolution declaring a state of climate emergency in the European Union. Passed by a vote of 429 to 225, the resolution came ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference – COP25 in Madrid in December 2019.
“The fact that Europe is the first continent to declare a climate and environmental emergency, just before the [UN summit], when the new Commission takes office, and three weeks after Donald Trump confirmed the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, is a strong message sent to citizens and the rest of the world,” said Pascal Canfin, chair of the parliament’s Environment Committee.
The European Parliament also called on negotiators attending the UN summit to complete the rulebook for the Paris Agreement. It also suggested the EU should raise its Paris pledge beyond the current commitment of at least 40% emission reductions by 2030 to 55%. These reductions are from 1990 levels.
However, critics labelled the summit a failure after key negotiations were pushed back to the next meeting, in Glasgow in 2020.