In European Council conclusions just released, European Leaders invited the Commission to come forward with a 2050 climate strategy compatible with the Paris Agreement early in 2019.
Quentin Genard, Senior Policy Advisor at E3G, said:
To stop climate change we need a shared view of where we are going and how fast we are getting there. The new long-term strategy will be an important tool to identify the choices that we face: when Europe needs to exit coal, oil and gas, how quickly we need to transform the building stock and what kind of infrastructure is needed in Europe
Council conclusions are not enough though. The Energy Union Governance regulation is being negotiated and should provide a clear framework for long-term planning at European and national level aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Background
- European Council conclusions are available here: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/33430/22-euco-intermediary-conclusions-en.pdf
- Long-term strategies are crucial to fight climate change. They are the basis on which policy-makers, investors and businesses can identify the major choices that the EU needs to make to phase out fossil fuels, to plan its infrastructure and to roll-out low-carbon technologies.
- The existing 2050 roadmap was drafted by the European Commission back in 2011. The Paris Agreement however requires the EU to up its game to be able to reach the goal of keeping the increase of temperature well below 2°C while aiming for 1.5°C.
- Member states have been reluctant to adopt a robust framework for long-term planning in the ongoing negotiations on Energy Union Governance. The Governance regulation sets out how national and European 2050 climate and energy plans should be designed and how ambitious they should be.
