European Parliament approves landmark law to make emissions targets legally binding
The European Parliament has approved a landmark law today which makes emissions targets within the European Union legally binding.
Earlier today, the UK’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC) said the government’s lack of policies jeopardise the country’s chances of meeting its net zero emissions by 2050 target.
“Today is a historic day,” Swedish Social Democrat Jytte Guteland, parliament’s lead lawmaker on the bill, said.
“Unless we rapidly cut our emissions, the science is crystal clear. The future will be catastrophic.”
Negotiators from parliament and the EU’s 27 member countries reached a deal in April on the climate law, which does not allow for ‘greenwashing’ or embellishing climate commitments.
‘The law of laws’
The bill’s targets look to slash net EU emissions – from 1990 levels – by 55 per cent by 2030 and cut all net emissions by 2050.
The law, which will be formally approved on Monday, won 442 votes in favour, 203 against and 51 abstentions.
Some abstainers, namely from the Green side of the political spectrum, sought a more ambitious 60 per cent emissions cut by 2030.
“This is the law of laws, because it will discipline us in the years to come,” the head of EU climate policy, Frans Timmermans, said.
It will also force Brussels to create an independent body of scientific experts, much like the UK’s CCC.
The scientific body will be tasked with advising climate policies and defining the total emissions the EU can produce between 2030 and 2050 to still meet its climate goals.