EU Must Ratify Paris Agreement According To European Parliament’s Environment Commitee

The EU must ratify the Paris Agreement before the year is up and call for a change to its 2030 climate target in 2018, the European Parliament Environment Committee has voted on the upcoming COP22.

In reaction to this, Ulriikka Aarnio, International Climate Policy Coordinator at Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, said:

“The Environment Committee is rightfully very concerned that not being part of the first wave of ratifying countries would be embarrassing for the EU, which has long prided itself as a global leader in climate action. Further, the recognition that current action is not in line with the goal to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees is essential. The EU must now proceed with a swift ratification, while at the same time getting ready to ratchet-up its inadequate 2030 target by 2018 the latest”.

According to CAN Europe, in order to align the EU climate policy with the Paris Agreement and keep the 1.5oC Paris goal within reach:

The post-2020 targets (NDCs) must be revised as soon as possible and at the facilitative dialogue in 2018 at COP24 the latest.
Increased pre-2020 action is a prerequisite to reach the goals agreed in Paris, and the EU must ensure the overachievement of its 2020 target contributes to additional pre-2020 action and not allow this overachievement to be used to achieve the 2030 targets.