Countries may partly achieve new climate targets outside the EU
The European Commission has presented its new climate target for 2040. Greenhouse gas emissions must then be reduced by 90 percent compared to 1990. Part of the plans is that EU member states may implement a small part of their climate approach in other countries outside the EU.
The Commission previously announced that it wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2040 (compared to 1990). This is an interim target on the way to 'net zero' emissions by 2050. This means that no more emissions will occur than will be removed from the air.
European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra stressed at a meeting in Brussels that the new target not only benefits the climate, but also makes the EU less dependent on other countries for energy.
Hoekstra: "It's about becoming more independent and resilient. The EU still pays billions of euros every year for the import of oil and gas." The Commission also refers to research this week showing that 85 percent of Europeans are concerned about climate change.
3 percentNew in the plans is that it has been made somewhat easier for countries to achieve the target than in the original plan. Hoekstra wants to use this to convince countries that are critical of what Brussels wants in the area of climate.
For example, 3 percent of the target may be achieved outside the EU. This means that EU member states that help other countries with their climate approach may count the gains that are achieved as a result.
Europe is the fastest warming continent on earth, climate organisation Copernicus confirmed earlier this year. Using eight graphs, we have made the latest trends visible at that time.
This could involve financial aid, for example, which would enable a factory in an African country to emit fewer greenhouse gases. Planting forests may also count.
Carbon creditsThere is discussion about this weakening, because it is feared that it will not cause some countries and companies to take sufficient action to reduce their emissions sufficiently. It was also warned in advance that the percentage could be higher than 3 percent, depending on how it is calculated.
But there are also countries that wanted a larger percentage. For the Commission it is important that the so-called carbon credits, which countries can earn with this, are easily verifiable.
According to Hoekstra, these credits give 'breathing space to sectors' that are struggling to reduce their emissions. "And it opens up new markets for sustainable technologies for CO2 removal."
The latter means that the world has emitted too much to meet the Paris Climate Agreement. Therefore, CO2 will have to be removed from the air again, for example by planting trees.
CO2 emissions are becoming increasingly expensive, we previously made this video about this:
With the new climate target of 90 percent less emissions in 2040, the EU hopes to more easily achieve the ultimate goal: being climate neutral in 2050.
The new interim target means that the energy supply in the European Union will become much greener. For example, natural gas, coal and oil will increasingly be replaced by sustainable sources such as sun and wind.
The NetherlandsOther sectors than the energy sector will also feel the effects, such as industry and agriculture. And homes and cars will also have to quickly start emitting less CO2.
For the Netherlands, the new climate target will still be a major challenge. According to the latest available figures, our country will most likely not achieve the 2030 target of 55 fewer emissions with the current policy.
RTL Nieuws
