The European Union Is Forcing Members to Cut Emissions
On Monday, June 28th, the European Union signed a new climate change law that will force all 27 members to slash emissions by 55% by 2030. And it further goes on to require nations to be net-zero by 2050.
While some individual countries like the UK and France have signed emission cuts into law, this is the first enforceable piece of legislation affecting multiple nations that will require members to follow suit.
Thus, unlike the United Nation’s Paris Agreement, it will be fully enforceable.
What’s in the European Climate Law?
The European Climate Law is a comprehensive piece that clearly outlines what it will do in the coming years. It is still in the legislative process, thus, it is subject to changes.
First, it sets a very large emissions reduction goal for 2030. In which the EU will aim to cut emissions by 55% compared to 1990 levels. By July 2021, the EU commission will revise all policies to ensure this goal is met.
And by September 2023, and every following five years, the commission will reassess climate action taken in the EU. If necessary, it will issue new policies and recommendations for all members of the union.
All member states (27 countries) will be required to create new strategies. These allow them to adapt to the changing policies and strengthen their climate resilience. The intention is to help make sure that members are less susceptible to climate change.
The emissions calculated will be for the entirety of the EU and not on an individual level.
Long Term Goals for the European Union
On top of the other stipulations of the bill, the EU is aiming to become the first carbon-negative economy. In simple terms, it means they will remove more carbon from the atmosphere than they emit.
This will allow it to pick up some of the slack from other nations around the world. Particularly the bigger emitters like China and the United States. While both are committed to reducing emissions, failure to do so affects everyone.
And the speed of it also matters.
For instance, while most nations are planning to cut emissions by 2030, China is actually planning to reach an emissions peak. This means that their emissions will hit the highest levels in their history before they begin to decline.
And unlike every other nation trying to reach net-zero by 2050, they are aiming for 2060.
Scientists Urge That Current Efforts Are Not Enough
Unfortunately, even with some of the newest climate pledges taken into consideration, it’s not enough to meet the Paris Agreement. The temperature is still expected to rise by 2.4C by the end of the century.
That said, things are looking up. In the last few months, many nations are beginning to increase their climate efforts as the world begins to unify in fighting climate change. Investments in renewable energy are at an all-time high.
As technology continues to evolve, not only will we see breakthroughs in this area, but we will also see improvements to carbon capture technology. While the world isn’t there yet, it is moving in the right direction.
Robert has been following and writing about environmental stories for years at GreenGeeks. He believes that highlighting environmentally friendly practices can help promote change in every household.
