About: Paris Agreement
The climate crisis is here and it is already killing people
This is the moment for urgent and equitable action to prevent dangerous global warming and address the climate crisis, ensuring that those responsible for it do not end up paying the heaviest price, argue climate activists.
EU’s new climate package must now close the ‘National Ownership Gap’
Europe must go beyond EU-level targets and ambition to implement climate action across member states, if it wants to reach its own ambition and limit the world to 1.5°C warming, write Sharon Turner and Thomas Muinzer.
The EU needs to make its upcoming climate and energy legislative package ‘Fit for 1.5°C’
A post-covid Europe must make far more effort when it comes to tackling climate change. Even with its recently enhanced target of at least 55% emissions reduction by 2030, the EU still fails to keep us safe from a climate catastrophe, argues Wendel Trio.
A photo-op with Jair Bolsonaro, anyone?
The EU must understand that a promise in a trade deal is no substitute for a deforestation control policy – something that’s awfully lacking in Brazil under its far-right regime, writes Marcio Astrini.
EU climate neutrality by 2050 is not Paris-compatible
The EU's aim for net zero by 2050 is insufficient to meet the Paris Agreement and limit warming to 1.5°C. To avoid climate catastrophe, Europe needs to rethink auctions for renewable energy and reintroducing support for small scale supply, argue Hans-Josef Fell and Dr Thure Traber.
EU should set a joint and ambitious standard for climate finance
As COP 26 approaches, the EU needs to adopt a joint and ambitious approach to climate finance to ensure that EU countries stand by their financial commitments under the Paris Agreement, writes Mattias Söderberg and Conor O'Neill.Promoted content
The goal is clear, let’s discuss the how
Moving to a sustainable and circular economy is the goal of decision makers, civil society and forward-looking companies like Covestro, but how do we get there? Here, Lynette Chung, Chief Sustainability Officer at Covestro, discusses what sustainability means to the...
European Green Deal needs to deliver on global challenges
Key elements of the EU’s foreign policy funding will be finalised during 'trilogue' talks this week. Raising the climate spending target there could make a vital difference to supporting partner countries to deliver green recovery plans, writes Rachel Simon.
India and the EU are natural partners for the green economy
India and the European Union are natural partners in the quest for environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation, and green growth and development, writes Santosh Jha.
Europe: Time to Paris!
Today is the last European summit where EU leaders will meet before the Paris Agreement's 5th birthday party, and there is still no agreement on the table to increase the EU's contribution to the UN, write Parents for Future Germany.
The EU can and must cut emissions by more than 55% by 2030
The European Commission has proposed to strengthen its 40% greenhouse gas emission reduction target to 50% or 55% on 1990 levels in the next ten years. But this step does not meet the minimum level of ambition that climate science,...
Climate Diplomacy: We must act and we must act collectively
Becoming the world's first climate-neutral continent is Europe's biggest challenge of the next decade. That success depends of the success of our global partners. Partnerships based on mutual ownership and shared responsibility, a new generation of trade agreements consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals, a Carbon Border Tax and a carbon price are key elements of a stronger European climate diplomacy, writes Margarida Marques.
Electric vehicles: How close are we to closing the global emissions gap?
Electric vehicles are a massive talking point on the agenda for tackling climate change but what are the challenges facing large-scale deployment and how far can they take us to close the global emissions gap? Lucy Craig explains the situation.
The Energy Charter Treaty, a case study of ‘business as usual’ in the energy sector
A closer look at the Energy Charter Treaty provides a case study of who really holds power in our increasingly interconnected world, writes Timothy Knickerbocker.
A question of legacy: EU must step up and lead on climate
As leaders of island states, every day our people are confronted with the harsh realities of climate change.Promoted content
To enable Europe’s clean energy future, we need to buckle up and couple up
The theme for this year’s EU Sustainable Energy Week is ’Shaping Europe’s Energy Future’ - that future holds plenty of potential and must rest on further integration across sector and policies to ensure we optimize our energy systems for optimal performance and efficiency.
A new European agenda for climate resilience
As the 2019 EU elections loom and a new European Commission takes office, climate action can become a key driver of a reformed EU project for more solidarity, protection and innovation, writes Luca Bergamaschi.
Some order in the multiple definitions of refrigeration
People are often confused by the multiple definitions of refrigeration, published in different sources, which are mutually overlapping but never identical. Some order was recently achieved and it is also needed at EU level, writes Kostadin Fikiin.
Belgium opens way toward fair tax on aviation pollution
Belgium’s proposal for Europe to tax aviation is most welcome and could address the current measures that are inadequate to address climbing emissions, writes Bill Hemmings.
Four things the EU should do to strengthen climate action before this mandate ends
EU institutions still have time for a series of concrete actions to strengthen climate policy before their mandate ends and get their successors off to a flying start, write Sanjeev Kumar and Edward Robinson.
Germany’s coal phase out plans must accelerate to meet Paris goals
Germany needs to phase out coal-fired power by 2030 in order to maximise the economic and social benefits of the zero-carbon transition, and deliver its commitment as part of the Paris Agreement, writes Nigel Topping.
Three ways companies and cities are taking the lead on climate change
As the COP24 drew to a close last weekend, it was hard not be concerned by the political rifts the process has revealed, notably regarding the IPCC’s 1.5C report. But in the real economy there are clear reasons for optimism, writes Nicolette Bartlett.
Climate change is a problem of politics, not science
The scientific, economic and social arguments for aggressive action on climate change are powerful. Our political leaders are now at a fork in the road and our children and grandchildren are watching, write Valérie Masson-Delmotte and Jiang Kejun.