During the EP plenary session (16- 19 April 2018) in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on new rules to ensure the EU meets its overall collective pledge, under the Paris Agreement on climate change. By 2030, CO2 emitted by transport, farming, buildings and waste must be cut by 30% in the EU, and any deforestation in the EU will have to be balanced out by planting new trees, according to a set of draft rules to be approved by Parliament. Statements by Norbert LINS (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY (ALDE, NL), Rapporteur, and Miguel ARIAS CAÑETE, Member of the EC in charge of Climate Action and Energy. Illustrations of industry, transport, forestry and melting ice.

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

emissions of vehicles (T)

GERBRANDY, Gerben-Jan (ALDE, NL)

ARIAS CAÑETE, Miguel (EPP, ES, EC)

European Union Emissions Trading System (T)

LINS, Norbert (EPP, DE)

fight against climate change (T)

general Union environment action programme to 2020 (T)

Greenhouse gas emissions: extracts from the debate and illustrative pictures

SOUNDBITE (English), Norbert LINS (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, What have we managed to achieve? We are talking about serious and robust accounting method for CO2-emissions and removals. The EP wanted to ensure that there is a balance between flexibility and comparative accounting rules for all 28 Member States.

SOUNDBITE (English), Norbert LINS (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, On the basis of the trilogue we managed to achieve a balanced and ambitious decision. In the area of LULUCF (Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry), there is considerable potential to fight climate change. Our forests are managed to remove about 10% of CO2 emission from around the EU and we have to increase this potential. And on the basis of the legislation we are adopting, we are sending out a signal. We want to ensure that we have sustainable and responsible management of our forests and this has to be recognised.

SOUNDBITE (English), Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY (ALDE, NL), Rapporteur, So if you ask me if I am satisfied with the final result we agreed, I am afraid my answer is no. But it was the maximum that we could get out of Council. And I think it would have been irresponsible if we would not tried to find an agreement there. But still, I am not satisfied. Nevertheless, the EP did achieve some improvements in this Climate Action Regulation because now we finally got rid of that awful name of Effort-sharing regulation, from now on we can call it clearly the Climate Action Regulation. Parliament fought hard to get an additional 125 million tonnes of ambition and I am proud of that.

SOUNDBITE (English), Miguel ARIAS CA&#209;ETE, Member of the EC in charge of Climate Action and Energy, We are meeting today to finalise the adoption of two key files to achieve our 2030 climate target. Both regulations are essential elements of our legal framework for implementing the EU's 2030 commitments under the Paris agreement. And they show our international partners, that the EU is leading by example.

SOUNDBITE (English), Miguel ARIAS CA&Ntilde;ETE, Member of the EC in charge of Climate Action and Energy, This regulation (the Climate Action Regulation) is a crucial instrument to accelerate the low carbon transition on a number of key sectors of the economy, such as transport, buildings, agriculture and industry not covered by the Emissions Trading System.It notably sets binding national targets covering well over half of the EU domestic greenhouse gas emissions, in order to achieve a European-wide reduction by 305 by 2030 compared to 2005.

Illustrations of industry, transport, forestry and melting ice (8 shots).