MEDIA ADVISORY
The European Commission is working on a revision of the next long-term EU budget to address the economic shock caused by COVID-19. Expected are an overall increase for existing instruments, and proposals for new funds and potentially new sources of income.
But the costs of worsening climate change to people and economies will be worryingly high if the EU budget continues investing in carbon-, resource-intensive and environmentally damaging projects. Instead, the recovery programme must aim at climate neutrality to preserve Europeans from more harmful disruptions.
Read more: Climate protection and economic recovery must go hand in hand
Europe’s energy infrastructure planning must move away from supporting fossil fuels and lay down rules for fully integrating energy efficiency and 100% renewables supply. It has to look at the entire range of energy solutions, on independent and evidence-based assumptions to be aligned with the EU’s climate and energy objectives, and relevant nature legislation, say environmental and climate NGOs in a joint letter sent to the European Commission.
Transitioning to climate neutrality requires bold long-term investments in clean energy infrastructure. And public and private investments into energy efficiency and renewable energy are key to ensuring a sustainable economic recovery out of the current crisis. However, a new report shows how little EU countries use existing EU regional development funds for this purpose. With the EU budget best placed to support the sustainable economic recovery, Member States must make climate action a much bigger priority of future EU funds spending.
The Member of the European Parliament in charge of the new EU climate law, Jytte Guteland from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), has announced today that she will support an increase of the EU’s 2030 climate target to 65%. In line with the latest science available, this target would allow the EU to contribute to the Paris Agreement goal to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
Read more: European Parliament’s climate law rapporteur calls for 65% emissions cuts by 2030
Austria has shut down its last coal-fired plant in Mellach (Styria) thereby ending its energy generation from coal. This makes Austria the eighth coal-free EU member state.