The EU is urgently negotiating a new minimum climate target

BrusselsThe European Union asserts itself as the power more committed to the fight against climate changeIt has promoted an ambitious green agenda and has pushed through numerous environmental initiatives in recent years. However, the anti-environmental wave – spearheaded mainly by the far right – has been gaining increasing strength and influence in European institutions, to the point of changing the European bloc's overall position on environmental issues. This shift is becoming evident in the member states' discussions this Tuesday: at the moment, they have not even managed to agree on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels, although the proposal includes numerous flexibilities and review clauses. Brussels has already presented a proposal that lowers the environmental commitments made so far by the EU, which it must present at the COP climate summit. which begins in Belém (Brazil) this weekHowever, some member states, such as Germany, Poland, and Italy, remain reluctant to accept the text presented by the European Commission, calling for a lower rate and greater flexibility. Conversely, some countries, particularly Spain, have been completely opposed to accepting a less ambitious climate target for 2040, although they have already yielded to some compromise on its implementation. Beyond the percentage of emissions reductions, the discussion among EU environment ministers is focusing primarily on the maximum number of emission allowances that member states can purchase from countries outside the European bloc. This would allow member states to count the emission reductions they achieve in third countries toward their climate targets. The European Commission initially proposed a maximum of 3% of the EU's 1990 emissions, but some countries, including France, were asking for this percentage to be raised to 5%. Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, among others, are aiming for a 10% reduction.

The reduction rate agreed upon this Tuesday is intended to be a middle ground between the goal of reducing polluting emissions by 55% by 2030 and the climate neutrality that is to be achieved by 2050. However, some member states, especially Poland, have requested the possibility of including technological reviews that are not progressing as quickly as expected or "at the pace of the EU's climate ambitions."

Two ways of viewing competitiveness

Both the states most in favor of greater environmental ambition and those advocating for lower climate targets argue that their option is the most positive for the EU's competitiveness. Germany and Italy, for example, maintain that climate targets could be a burden for their industries, especially the automotive sector, in a context of increasing competition from the United States and China. Conversely, Spain sees a need to strengthen the fight against climate change to reduce, for example, the effects of climate disasters and to boost the energy transition, which can increase the EU's autonomy and make it more competitive against, precisely, Chinese and American power. In fact, these two opposing views are what have caused the EU to remain deadlocked over a climate agreement that long ago would have been a minimal one and would have enjoyed the majority consensus of the member states. The European partners should have reached an agreement and presented it at COP20 long ago; And at the last meeting of European leaders, they already agreed to finalize a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target by Tuesday at the latest, so that the EU wouldn't arrive empty-handed at the international summit. However, the back-and-forth between the environment ministers continues, and Tuesday's EU Council meeting is unusually long. And, so far, without any results.