During an extraordinary meeting, the Committee Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) open to all MEPs, discuss the EU climate law and targets due to be announced the same day, with Greta THUNBERG, environmental activist, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

statement

meeting

Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

fight against climate change (T)

THUNBERG, Greta (SE)

EU climate law and targets: extracts from the exchange of views with Greta THUNBERG, environmental activist

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/16999744/I185416Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (English), Peter LIESE (EPP, DE), I think it must be possible to keep the industry, but to make them cleaner and climate friendly, then we should also show the way for other major economies like China and India<b>. </b>If we were successful together. It's a huge priority for the European Parliament. The problem is the Member States, the finance ministers and the heads of state are proposing to cut the budget for innovation. And that's why I think we all need to fight that member states accept their responsibility.

SOUNDBITE (Swedish), Jytte GUTELAND (S&amp;D, SE), I would like to thank you and all of the young people who are follow in your footsteps, who are taking their own initiatives. They are telling the truth to our society. We need that. You have already transformed the debate in this house. I am absolutely sure of it.

SOUNDBITE (Swedish), Nils TORVALDS (RE, FI), But in any case we have made it a small effort making some improvements before COP25, we took a decision on increasing the level of ambition for CO2 emissions for 2030. So we're now going up to 55 percent. Well, you are telling us that's still not enough, but compared to the previous goal of 40 percent, then it's a significant step forward.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), Today they presented the.climate law and it is outright disappointing. This year should be the year about increasing our ambitions. And Peter Liese, you're absolutely right. We need to increase our ambitions. And your question, how to do that by showing that we can do it, that we are doing it. But if now the European Commission is enshrining in its climate law that it will only come with a proposal by September to maybe have an increase of our emissions for 2030, then we have a big problem because the Paris agreement was constructed to have every five years, one time a global momentum. And 2020 is the year, November 2020 is the moment in Glasgow where it needs to happen. If we are not ready, who will be?

SOUNDBITE (Finnish), Silvia MODIG (GUE/NGL, FI), We have to remember what's going on in other countries, too. We're saying, yes, the EU is doing more than it's ever done previously, but that doesn't mean that we're doing enough. We have to do more. And we stand by your side in this.

Cutaways of Greta THUNBERG, environmental activist, after the meeting (6 shots)