During the plenary session (5-8 October 2020) of the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate the European Climate Law. Opening statements by Jytte GUTELAND (S&D, SE), rapporteur and by Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI (ECR, PL), ITRE, by Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of the European Green Deal, by Tilly METZ (Greens/EFA,LU), TRAN, Caroline ROOSE (Greens/EFA,FR), REGI and Asger CHRISTENSEN (Renew, DK), AGRI. The following transcription is the result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

Brussels

statement

debate

plenary session

GUTELAND, Jytte (S&D, SE)

TIMMERMANS, Frans (NL, EC)

KRASNODĘBSKI, Zdzisław (ECR, PL)

fight against climate change (T)

METZ, Tilly (Greens/EFA, LU)

CHRISTENSEN, Asger (Renew, DK)

ROOSE, Caroline (Greens/EFA, FR)

European Green Deal (T)

Plenary session - European Climate Law. Opening statements by the rapporteur, committee speakers and European Commission

SOUNDBITE (Original), Jytte GUTELAND (S&amp;D, SE), rapporteur, Thank you, Chair. Dear colleagues, this is a historic moment. The European climate law is indeed the cornerstone of the European Green Deal as it enshrines into legislation the Union's objective to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest. The climate neutrality objective brings with it a transition of historic dimension, which Europe will undergo in the coming decades.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Jytte GUTELAND (S&D, SE), rapporteur, We are moving away from our history as the coal and steel union and going to climate neutrality. The report that we will see voted on later today and this afternoon improves the commission's proposal on a number of points and colleagues. We are responsible for this. We need to listen to the citizens, to the scientists and to the movement of the young people and do our very best to improve this legislation and make it responsible for our time.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Jytte GUTELAND (S&D, SE), rapporteur, The report sets binding targets for the Union and the member states to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest. Thereafter, emissions shall be negative. Everyone must contribute to reach to climate neutrality objective. This is something we need to do together. The report proposed a strengthened 2030 climate target of 60 percent in order to be in line with science and give Europe the best possible possibilities to reach our climate neutrality objective and respect the Paris Agreement.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Jytte GUTELAND (S&D, SE), rapporteur, We need to have higher targets also for 2030. The commission has proposed a net target of at least 55 percent for 2030, meaning approximately between 51 and 53 percent real emission reductions. Depending on how much greenhouse gas are natural sinks we'll be able to remove from the atmosphere. This is not good enough. We need stronger target if we are serious about respecting the Paris agreement and our own responsibility to reach climate neutrality.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Jytte GUTELAND (S&D, SE), rapporteur, At this also why the reports includes a new EU climate target for 2040. This is a crucial element to ensure that Europe is on track to achieve the climate neutrality by 2050 to take responsible climate action. We must also know exactly how much Europe can emit without undermining the Union's commitment under the Paris Agreement.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Jytte GUTELAND (S&D, SE), rapporteur, And therefore, the report also calls for the introduction of the greenhouse gas budget, setting out the total remaining quantity of greenhouse gas emissions as CO2 equivalent. That could be emitted under the 2050 at the latest without putting at risk the one point five degree temperature goal. Elements of social fairness and solidarity are strengthened throughout the regulation for the S&P group.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Jytte GUTELAND (S&D, SE), rapporteur, This is fundamental. We will only succeed in our climate effort if everyone is with us. If no one is left behind, it must be just socially. And we must make sure that it's for all the citizens. I would like to underline especially the importance of the reference to the 2015 International Labour Organisation's guidelines for just transition towards the environmentally sustainable economies and societies.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Jytte GUTELAND (S&D, SE), rapporteur, We are also emphasising the importance of social partners, which I'm very proud of. There are also strong provisions on science, not at least the setup of an independent Climate Council at the European level.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Jytte GUTELAND (S&D, SE), rapporteur, The European Climate Change Council, the ECCC, which with the creation of climate advice, three bodies at the member states level will assess whether we are on track to achieve the climate neutrality objective and identify opportunities to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the carbon sequestration potential.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Jytte GUTELAND (S&D, SE), rapporteur, Furthermore, the provisions for climate adaptation are strengthened and with increased consideration of vulnerable groups. I will conclude by saying this is a good proposal. I would like to thank my colleagues, all the shadows, all the people that work with this legislation, advisory persons and also the interpretation that has been good technical advisers. Thank you so much. No one is left behind. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Zdzislaw KRASNODEBSKI (ECR, PL), Thank you very much.Ladies and gentlemen. What a historic experience teaches us that when we are guided by ideology and not by facts, we reach results that are bordering disasters. And I think here in the European Parliament, we should not be blinded by ideology. We should not try to outbid ourselves by increasing the levels of how much we can reduce the emissions.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Zdzislaw KRASNODEBSKI (ECR, PL), We should look at the reality of different member states. And then we have to look at those scenarios that will be able to combine work for increasing economic growth, increasing also autonomy and economic potential. The European Council in December said that we are going to increase targets for the European Union. We want to reach climate neutrality in different member states, but with different time limit.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Zdzislaw KRASNODEBSKI (ECR, PL), And this is in line with just transition because we have to take into consideration that different member states have different level of economic development. We are also talking here about climate neutrality by 2050 in the European Union as a whole. This is the realistic approach, and this should be supported by the European Parliament.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, Madam President, honourable members, first of all, I have to apologise for being late. It's because of the college finished now. I immediately came here. I'm really happy to discuss with you today, which is, I think, a landmark of the European Green Deal, the climate law to turn Europe's political climate ambitions into binding legislation.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, Moving towards a climate neutral future is the right thing to do for our children and future generations, especially now. And everything we're doing is science based. So actually, those who deny the science are being ideological, not the ones who embrace science.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, If we invest, if we invest hundreds of billions of euros and rescuing our economy from this pandemic, we must not throw money at the old economy. We must guide our societies to a cleaner and healthier future, one that our children can embrace with hope, not fear. We must be very clear and very honest about this.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, This transition will affect our daily lives from the cars we drive, from the houses we live in, from the jobs we will have in the future. I am confident that we can make it if we do two things, if we set ourselves a sound direction and stand together as a continent in mastering the challenge. The climate law was set the direction by making our 2050 climate neutrality goal binding, that provides certainty at a time when so much is uncertain.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, I want to stress three points. This is a Union wide commitment to climate neutrality with a just transition for all. The target is also economy wide. All sectors must contribute no exceptions, granted. And it's a domestic objective delivered in Europe to inspire the world to follow our lead. And we see across the world other nations following the lead already.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, For 2030, we need to increase our ambition. If we want a realistic pathway to climate neutrality, our proposal to increase the 2030 target to at least 55 percent emission reductions compared to 1990 was not just conjured from thin air. We did a thorough impact assessment, as I had promised to this house. I have to say, I'm really impressed by the work the commission services have done on this. I know that this proposal goes too far for some and for others not far enough.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, But the target is ambitious. We propose to reduce our emissions over the next decade by as much as we have achieved over the past quarter century. The target is well-founded in science. It shows responsibility towards developing countries, but doesn't take on an undue burden. Given the ambition needed from other industrial nations, I think it's the right target.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, Just as important as the goal is realisation that we're in this together. The transition is just. Has to be just or there will just be no transition. We must help households and regions that are at risk of being left behind. We will soon propose a renovation wave to lower energy bills and fight energy poverty. We'll continue developing our just transition mechanism to deliver a new future to regions where the path towards climate neutrality is particularly steep.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, This is our message to the miners in Asturias, the workers on Baltic peatlands and many, many others will stand with you to make the journey to climate neutrality with us. Let me address the role of forests and other landscapes that remove CO2 from our atmosphere. The point of climate neutrality in 2050 is that by that year we must balance CO2 emissions with removals taking out what we put in.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, If you prefer a cook, cruder expression, the sink in our forests is declining and shrinking. Rather than waiting for 2050, we want to recognise the role of natural carbon sinks now, including the full sink in our climate target. In line with our international obligations will drive us to take better care of our forests and sinks so that they can play this vital role and also give an opportunity to rural communities.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, This is no accounting trick or cheat called. It's the reality of how we neutralise the negative impact of human activity on our planet and care for our natural habitat. Honourable members, you've discussed for many months how to fix the pathway between 2030 in 2050, including an intermediate target for 2040.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, There is criticism on our proposal to use delegated acts to check whether we're on track for that pathway. Let me repeat today, and you know, this is my opinion. What counts is that we reach our goals. I am open to discuss which instruments should get us there. Please help me find a solution that we can all support. Tomorrow, you will vote on turning our climate ambitions into binding law.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, The commission will be an honest broker for negotiations between Parliament and Council. We will push for an ambitious seven year budget to finance our climate ambitions. But I want to thank Parliament and Ms. Guteland in particular already for the work on this historic piece of legislation. The climate law.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, Ambitious climate action is what we need in Europe today and in the world. Let's set our pathway towards climate neutrality as quickly as possible and start walking along this path together as quickly as possible. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Tilly METZ (Greens/EFA, LU), For months and even years. Youngsters have taken the streets and called for action on climate change. Now, when these same young people started to vote, we are witnessing green waves country by country. Our youth knows what is the challenge of our time. But do we as current politicians?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Tilly METZ (Greens/EFA, LU), Today, we have the chance to vote for something historic. So European climate law. This law will set the ambition for a youth climate actions in the coming decades. Transport and tourism are responsible for nearly a third of European greenhouse gas emissions. Transport and in particular there are maritime and aviation is the only sector where emissions are still higher than 1919 with more than a 25 percent increase.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Tilly METZ (Greens/EFA, LU), I expect that the upcoming mobility strategy and the legislative proposals by the Commission will deeply transform the sector. This is crucial to stay below one point five degrees warming so that the future generation will have a planet to live on. For that to Parliament needs to send a strong signal today and vote for the most ambitious science-based targets. Thanks a lot.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Caroline ROOSE (Greens/EFA, FR), Thank you very much. Yesterday, the President, he talked about the victims of the floods in southern France, where I live, and northern Italy. Scientists agree that if we don't take strict intervention with climate chaos, then nothing's going to happen. There have been floods this year and last in Italy and France. We need to vote for stringent drops, 50 65 percent in CO2 gases by 2050.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Caroline ROOSE (Greens/EFA, FR), I would like those that don't want to listen to science, to explain to the people that live in my region that their lives and their neighbour's lives don't count or their houses, or that you want to sacrifice their lives to growth. We need to make sure that what we do is compatible with the Paris agreements to limit temperature increase to one and half degrees.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Caroline ROOSE (Greens/EFA, FR), As rapporteur for the REGGI committee, I would like to stress the importance of municipalities in fighting against climate change. We need to help them setting ambitious goals, aligning the European fund to this and moving towards solutions, having quality jobs that can't be relocated. Relocalize elsewhere in our region, we need to make sure that we listen to scientists, listen to young people that take to the streets. Let's be up to our ambitions.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Asger CHRISTENSEN (RE, DK), Thank you, Madam President. The green transition in the next 30 years. It's important that the EU goes ahead and shows the way we we're in favour of ambitious goals for the reduction of 65 percent for all member states. I've been responsible in the Agriculture Committee on Agriculture and the climate and the environment are essential for each other.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Asger CHRISTENSEN (RE, DK), That's why we need to have concrete solutions. I propose that the EU should be supporting farmers in sequestering CO2. That's an enormous challenge. If we're going to have a separate quota system, there should be possibilities for financing the green transition. I have tabled amendment, which I hope that will be voted for tomorrow.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Asger CHRISTENSEN (RE, DK), We should also have common standards to be able to measure farmers climate footprint with a climate accounting. The agricultural sector wants to make a big contribution to the green transformation, but it shouldn't damage food safety or food production. And my suggestions on food safety are part of my report from my committee. Thank you.