About: Paris Agreement
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Finalising the Clean Energy Package: priorities for the Austrian Presidency
Member states, the European Parliament and the European Commission have made remarkable progress on the Clean Energy Package to date – which Orgalime, representing the European technology industries, warmly welcomes, writes Malte Lohan.
Stricter CO2 standards for vehicles are not the reason for job losses
Despite negative media reports, environmental regulation cannot be blamed for the coming upheavals in the automobile sector. Daniel Rieger explains.
EU should aim for net-zero emissions by 2040 to fight global warming
Keeping global temperature rise to 1.5°C is critical - and still possible. But it means the EU should aim to reach net-zero emissions by 2040, writes Andrea Kohl.
China and EU can lead on climate action
An upcoming EU-China summit in Beijing will be yet another moment for both economies to show leadership on climate action, following the United States' surrender of influence under Donald Trump, writes Professor Zou Ji.
Climate action should be a condition for future EU trade deals
The European Union should support France’s proposal to add compliance with the Paris Agreement as an essential element of EU trade accords, writes Steve Herz.
A ”facelift” to the EIB: the EU financial arm needs forward-looking reforms
The European Investment Bank (EIB) celebrates this year its 60th anniversary. But the 1958-founded EU body and bank should now look forward and commit to becoming a more sustainable, accountable and transparent institution, writes Xavier Sol.
The EU needs to walk the talk on the Paris Climate Agreement
The EU’s Energy Union Governance Regulation is not an EU-level invention or a bureaucratic imposition from Brussels. Instead, it is to a large extent an attempt to translate what several of the EU’s individual member states are already doing on climate and energy policy, writes Lola Vallejo.
Without ambitious energy efficiency goals, the EU will fail Paris targets
The Paris Climate Agreement’s entry into force has clearly not yet spurred policymakers to charge toward the goal of limiting climate change to “well below 2°C” and targeting 1.5°C, warn Dr Jan Rosenow and Stefan Scheuer. Energy efficiency remains the key to success.
New climate strategy will set out a pathway to meet higher targets
Last week, EU leaders sent a clear message to the European Commission to ramp up its work to implement the Paris Agreement and accelerate the ongoing transition away from fossil fuels, writes Wendel Trio.
Breaking the glass ceiling of EU climate policy
The request from EU leaders to see an update of the European Commission's 2050 low-carbon roadmap mandates a higher level of ambition from Europe on meeting climate goals also in 2030, writes Brook Riley.
How to save the transatlantic alliance
To save the transatlantic alliance, it is essential for the EU to deal with its internal problems in order to become a more reliable and credible partner for the US in the future, writes Fraser Cameron.
EU budget: Where’s the climate and environment?
Discussions on the EU's post-2020 accounts have begun. But it seems like climate, energy and the environment itself have already been forgotten in the talks, warns Damien Demailly.
Forests are crucial in salvaging the Paris goals – EU must lead the way
In addition to halting deforestation, the European Union must support efforts to allow forest regeneration and sequestering more carbon dioxide, write Heidi Hautala and Carlos Zorrinho.
Don’t be fooled: ‘Efficiency First’ is a necessary discipline
The idea of "Efficiency First" is on the line in ongoing EU talks. Member states must realise that this is no mere slogan but a real necessity, write Jan Rosenow, Richard Cowart and Edith Bayer.
Halting deforestation – a critical contribution from the EU
Halting deforestation and allowing forests to regrow would provide at least 30% of all mitigation action needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C. As a major importer of products linked to deforestation, the EU has the leverage to make a difference, writes former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres.
Trade and climate: How the EU can protect the Paris Agreement
It is possible to effectively integrate the Paris Agreement into new trade deals, including CETA and the upcoming JEFTA with Japan. But it requires a bit more creativity than the recent political declarations, write Mathilde Dupré and Samuel Leré.
EU budget post 2020: Fortress Europe or a budget for working people?
One of the main discussion points of the informal summit in Brussels on 23 February is the EU's post-2020 long-term budget, however the topics to be debated on the matter are limited and do not take into account the Pillar of Social Rights, writes Thiébaut Weber.
Covenant of Mayors: A key instrument for the future EU budget
In order for the Covenant of Mayors to continue its success and further embed itself in EU policies, it has to become a key instrument for the future EU budget, write the local and regional leaders of the group's board.
Greek coal: The EU’s dirty little secret
A decision imposed by the EU on Greece to sell a large proportion of its lignite coal assets could be disastrous for consumers and the sustainability of Greece’s energy model, warns Nikos Mantzaris.
IPCC 1.5°C report: A clarion call for EU action on climate
A leaked draft of the IPCC's forthcoming report on keeping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius gives reason to hope that the target is attainable. But only if urgent action is taken immediately, warns Dr Bert Metz.
Parliament energy vote is last chance to preserve EU’s Paris Agreement credibility
Greens/EFA MEP Claude Turmes argues that when it comes to energy efficiency talks, EPP lead negotiator Markus Pieper is trying to turn his group into a "European Polluters' Party", in an attempt to break the historical pro-climate position of his political group ahead of a defining vote in Strasbourg on Wednesday (17 January).
Room for hope at Macron’s One Planet Summit
French President Emmanuel Macron will this week welcome over 50 leaders from around the world, two years after the adoption of the Paris Agreement. Leaders and international financial institutions must seize this opportunity to ramp up their ambition and end support for fossil fuels, writes Maeve McLynn.
Europe cannot afford to be overtaken on electric vehicles
Cities, states, countries and regions must work together to share successful policy approaches to meeting climate targets, including approaches to facilitate rapid adoption of low-carbon vehicles, insist Joschka Fischer, Margo Oge and Yunshi Wang.