During the plenary (5-8 October) of the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate on a more ambitious 2030 emissions reduction target. The European climate law aims to transform political promises that the EU will become climate-neutral by 2050 into a binding obligation, to give European citizens and businesses the legal certainty and predictability they need to plan for the transformation.

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)

ROOS, Robert (ECR, NL)

European Green Deal (T)

European Climate Law: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (Original) Jytte GUTELAND (SD, SE), Rapporteur, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Jytte GUTELAND (S&amp;D, SE), Rapporteur 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Jytte GUTELAND (S&amp;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.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Jytte GUTELAND (S&amp;D, SE), Rapporteur The report proposes 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&amp;D, SE), Rapporteur The report proposes 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.Jytte GUTELAND (S&amp;D, SE), Rapporteur 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 our natural sinks will be able to remove from the atmosphere. This is not good enough.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Jytte GUTELAND (S&amp;D, SE), Rapporteur That is a lso why the report includes a new EU climate target for 2040. This is a crucial element to ensure that Europe is on track.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Zdzislaw KRASNODEBSKI, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy 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. 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Frans TIMMMERMANS, 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 all. 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 TIMMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, If we invest hundreds of billions of euros in 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Frans TIMMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, The climate law will 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 TIMMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, All sectors must contribute no exceptions, granted, and it's a domestic objective delivered in Europe to inspire the world to follow our lead.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Frans TIMMMERMANS, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Frans TIMMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, The transition is just. Has to be just or they will just be no transition. We must help households and regions that are at risk of being left behind.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Tilly METZ, Committee on Transport and Tourism This law will set the ambition for a used climate actions in the coming decades. Transport and tourism are responsible for nearly a third of European greenhouse gas emissions, transport, and in particular the maritime and aviation, is the only sector where emissions are still higher than 1990.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Caroline ROOSE, Committee on Regional Development, Scientists agree that if we don't take strict intervention with climate chaos, then nothing's gonna happen. There have been floods this year and last in last in Italy and France. We need to vote for stringent drops, 50 65 percent in CO2 gases by 2050.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Asger CHRISTENSEN, Committee on Agriculture and regional development The green transition in the next 30 years. It's important that the EU goes ahead and shows the way we're in favor of ambitious goals for the reduction of 65 percent for all member states. I've been responsible in the Agriculture Committee. Agriculture and the climate and the environment are essential for each other. That's why we need to have concrete solutions.