In the corridors of Brussels rumours are rife that the Commission is to announce a 55% emissions cut, up from the current 40% goal by 2030, but its not proving popular across the political spectrum.
ADVERTISEMENTThe EU is looking to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. The new green goal set to be announced by the Commission President this Wednesday during her first State of the Union speech.
The current objective of the European Union is to reduce them by 40% in the next ten years.
Several leaks confirmed the rumours circulating in Brussels of a 15% increase, but it is far from a done deal.
Each institution has its own position on the new climate law. The head of the European Parliament's environment committee, French MEP Pascal Canfin, wants to go further and see greenhouse gas emissions cut by 60% compared to the levels reached in 1990.
He argues that the 40% is not enough, and is not in alignment with the Paris climate accord, and not enough to deal with the current consequences of climate change.
"This is why we raised this target to minus 60% as part of the vote by the environment committee," he adds.
But this ambition is not shared by everyone in the European Parliament. The Conservatives group, ECR, believes that such an objective could undermine jobs, investment and innovation.
The climate law is the focus of political battles due to it being at the heart of the European Green Deal.
It will define the Union's climate objectives for decades to come. The news that the Commission wants to further cut back on emissions is evidence that it wants to keep its environmental ambitions on track. But it could still be changed