In response to the landmark IPCC report on global warming of 1.5°C published last week, 28 EU Heads of State and Government have called upon all countries of the world to commit, at the upcoming COP24 climate summit in Poland, to review the levels of ambition of their Paris Agreement pledges by 2020.

The EU now needs to translate this statement into an action plan on how and when its Member States will agree on a new 2030 target, in line with the long-term objectives of the Paris Agreement.

Despite their unprofitability and their harmful impacts on our climate, environment and health, coal power plants still receive massive public subsidies. This is why more than 115,000 Europeans have signed the petition “Let’s move beyond coal!” to call on EU leaders to stop pouring taxpayers’ money into coal through so-called capacity mechanisms.

15 EU environment ministers called today for increasing the EU’s climate target to limit warming to 1.5°C. The other ministers did not support such a commitment, turning their backs on the landmark IPCC report published yesterday.

Ahead of the General Affairs Council meeting on 16 October, business associations, think tanks and civil society urge EU ministers to align the next future EU budget with the Paris Agreement and the UN development goals.

In a draft long-term EU climate strategy leaked by the media today, the European Commission proposes three options for the EU’s long-term target: 80% emission reductions by 2050, reaching net zero emissions by 2070 and reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

None of these targets reflect the urgency of action to keep temperature rise to 1.5°C enshrined in the IPCC report published earlier today.

  1. Europe needs to step up climate action as scientists deliver unequivocal evidence for the need to stay below 1.5°C
  2. Capacity mechanisms must not become a lifeline to unprofitable coal
  3. CAN Europe is intervening in the People's Climate Case
  4. EU leaders’ budget talks need to shift focus from quantity to climate compatibility

Latest Publications

See All: Climate & Energy Targets