During the plenary session (23-24 June 2021) in the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate on the European Climate Law: extracts from the debate and result of the vote

Brussels

statement

debate

plenary session

vote

GUTELAND, Jytte (S&D, SE)

TIMMERMANS, Frans (NL, EC)

LIESE, Peter (EPP, DE)

fight against climate change (T)

CANFIN, Pascal (Renew, FR)

METZ, Tilly (Greens/EFA, LU)

ZALEWSKA, Anna (ECR, PL)

European Green Deal (T)

ZACARIAS, Ana Paula (PT)

european climate law (T)

European Climate Law: extracts from the debate and result of the vote

SOUNDBITE (English), Jytte GUTELAND (S&amp;D, SE), Rapporteur, Today will we will enshrine into law that EU, which started as a coal and steel union more than 70 years ago, will become the first carbon neutral continent by 2050.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jytte GUTELAND (S&amp;D, SE), Rapporteur, I'm very happy to be present here today with our agreement. Increased ambition for 2030, negative emissions of to 2050, a new target, 2040, a greenhouse gas budget on the way and Climate Advisory Board are all important wins for the European Parliament. The new climate law strengthens the ambition of the EU climate target.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jytte GUTELAND (S&amp;D, SE), Rapporteur, We also got a separate agreement on an increased level of ambition for Europe thinks we will that will mean in practise that 2030 climate target will mean almost 57 percent.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jytte GUTELAND (S&amp;D, SE), Rapporteur, The alternative is not a more ambitious law. Those who vote against today, they vote in favour of the old climate policies. They vote against climate neutrality. They vote for much lower targets for 2030, and they vote against the Climate Advisory Board. It is easy to yell for more from the side, but it's much harder to take your responsibility and make a true difference.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs, It was of the utmost importance to the council that the objective of climate neutrality was defined as a collective for the EU as a whole in recognition of the principles of solidarity and cost effectiveness in the pursuit of our collective efforts. Decarbonisation will not happen at exactly the same pace in all member states because they have different circumstances and starting points.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, There will always be, as we've seen with the pandemic issues, issues that would potentially distract us from this historic responsibility of saving humanity, because that's what we do with climate policy. But then we have the law to fall back on. We have the law to fall back on. That will remain the framework, whatever distractions might occur along the way.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tilly METZ (Greens/EFA, LU), I regret that this law will not be enough to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement to avoid disastrous climate change. We need swift and concrete action so transport and tourism sectors are responsible for almost a third of EU greenhouse gas emission. Transport is the only sector where emissions are still increasing. To achieve the climate targets, we need a concrete roadmap for decarbonising all transport modes, in particular aviation and maritime,

SOUNDBITE (German), Peter LIESE (EPP, DE), We want to work together with agriculture and forestry and make use of their potential to activate sinks. And we wish to work together with industry in partnership towards a climate neutral industry, and we wish to secure jobs in those industries. We want to work together with the people together on this ambitious but reachable goal.

SOUNDBITE (Polish), Anna ZALEWSKA (ECR, PL), We're not ready, we're not prepared to carry out this climate law. We've got the multiannual frameworks, we've got the financing. But that's not enough. Not enough for. The transition. To be fair, to be just humankind is very important. We protect water, the forests and nature. And of course, that's key. But we've got to think about people as well.

SOUNDBITE (English), Pascal CANFIN (Renew, FR), Of course, we must vote to adopt the climate law and allow me to say that the position of the Greens voting against this climate law is majorly irresponsible. Politically speaking, if we all did the same thing, this law would never go through and we'd be looking at 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. But today we're willing to step up to the plate and take up our responsibilities

Announcement of the result of the vote: 442 in favour, 203 against and 51 abstentions