COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL The Paris Protocol – A blueprint for tackling global climate change beyond 2020
Date: 2015-02-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, climate change, environmental impact, financial aid, greenhouse gas, investment, reduction of gas emissions, sustainable development













EUR-Lex - 52015DC0081 - EN











|



52015DC0081

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL The Paris Protocol – A blueprint for tackling global climate change beyond 2020 /* COM/2015/081 final */









Contents
1............ Executive
Summary. 3
2............ The
Paris Protocol 5
3............ Securing
ambitious reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. 6
3.1......... The EU
2030 target and intended nationally determined contribution. 6
3.2......... Sharing
the global effort 7
4............ Ensuring
dynamism through regular review of targets. 8
5............ Strengthening
transparency and accountability. 8
6............ Achieving
climate resilience through adaptation. 9
7............ Promoting
implementation and cooperation. 9
7.1......... Mobilising
public and private climate finance. 9
7.2......... Scaling
up international cooperative action. 10
7.3......... Supporting
the development and deployment of climate technologies. 11
7.4......... Building
capacity. 11
8............ Mobilising
other EU policies. 11
9............ Next
steps. 13
1.           Executive
Summary
According to the latest findings of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), without urgent action,
climate change will bring severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts on all the
world's people and ecosystems. Limiting dangerous rises in global average
temperature to below 2°C compared with pre-industrial levels (the below 2°C
objective) will require substantial and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas
emissions by all countries.
This global transition to low emissions can
be achieved without compromising growth and jobs, and can provide significant
opportunities to revitalise economies in Europe and globally. Action to tackle
climate change also brings significant benefits in terms of public well-being.
Delaying this transition will, however, raise overall costs and narrow the
options for effectively reducing emissions and preparing for the impacts of
climate change.
All countries need to act urgently and
collectively. Since 1994, the Parties to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have focused on this challenge, resulting
in more than 90 countries, both developed and developing, pledging to curb
their emissions by 2020. However, these pledges are insufficient to achieve the
below 2°C objective[1].
For these reasons, in 2012, the UNFCCC Parties launched negotiations towards a
new legally binding agreement applicable to all Parties that will put the world
on track to achieve the below 2°C objective. The 2015 Agreement is to be
finalised in Paris in December 2015 and implemented from 2020.
The progress made at the recent climate
conference in Lima brings a robust agreement in Paris within reach. Most
importantly, it was decided how countries should formulate and communicate
their proposed emission reduction targets well in advance of the Paris
conference. A first full draft text of the 2015 Agreement was also developed, reflecting
the positions of all Parties on all the elements under negotiation.
Well ahead of the Lima conference, the EU
continued to show leadership and determination to tackle climate change
globally. At the European Summit in October 2014, European leaders agreed that
the EU should step up its efforts and domestically reduce its emissions by at
least 40% compared to 1990 by 2030. This was followed by announcements of China
and the US. In Lima, EU Member States pledged about half of the initial
capitalisation of US$10 billion to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to assist
developing countries. Within the EU, a new investment plan was adopted. This will
unlock public and private investments in the real economy of at least €315
billion over the next three years (2015-17). These investments will help modernise and further decarbonise the EU’s
economy.
This communication responds to the
decisions taken in Lima, and is a key element in implementing the Commission's
priority of building a resilient Energy Union with a forward-looking climate
change policy consistent with the President of the Commission's political
guidelines. This communication prepares the EU for the last round of
negotiations before the Paris conference in December 2015. 
In particular this communication: 

 translates the decision taken at the
     European Summit in October 2014 into the EU's proposed emissions target -
     its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to be submitted by
     the end of the first quarter of 2015;
 proposes that all UNFCCC Parties submit
     their INDCs well in advance of the Paris conference. China, the US and
     other G20 countries, as well as high and middle-income countries should be
     in a position to do so by the first quarter of 2015. Greater flexibility
     should be provided to Least Developed Countries (LDCs);
 sets out a vision for a transparent and
     dynamic legally binding agreement, containing fair and ambitious
     commitments from all Parties based on evolving global economic and
     geopolitical circumstances. In aggregate these commitments - based on
     scientific evidence - should put the world on track to reduce global
     emissions by at least 60% below 2010 levels by 2050. Should there be a gap
     in the level of ambition set in Paris, this should be addressed by
     devising a work programme starting in 2016 working closely with the GCF to
     identify additional action to reduce emissions;
 proposes that the 2015 Agreement should
     be in the form of a Protocol under the UNFCCC. Major economies, in
     particular the EU, China and the US, should show political leadership by
     joining the Protocol as early as possible. It should enter into force as
     soon as countries with a collective total of 80% of current global
     emissions have ratified it. Under the new Protocol, climate finance,
     technology development and transfer, and capacity building should promote
     universal participation and facilitate the efficient and effective
     implementation of strategies to reduce emissions and adapt to the adverse
     effects of climate change;
 underlines that the International Civil
     Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the International Maritime Organisation
     (IMO) and the Montreal Protocol should act to effectively regulate
     emissions from international aviation and shipping and the production and
     consumption of fluorinated gases before the end of 2016;
 highlights how other EU policies such as,
     trade, scientific research, innovation and technological cooperation,
     economic and development cooperation, disaster risk reduction and
     environment could reinforce the EU’s international climate policy; and
 is complemented by a climate diplomacy
     action plan jointly developed by the European External Action Service and
     the Commission. The action plan is aimed at scaling up EU outreach and
     building alliances with ambitious international partners in the run up to
     the Paris conference.

Some aspects of this communication are set
out in further detail in the accompanying Staff Working Document.
2.           The Paris Protocol
In order to promote
collective action consistent with the IPCC's findings, the Paris Protocol must
deliver the following objectives:

 secure ambitious reductions of emissions by:

o  
specifying that the long term goal should be to
reduce global emissions by at least 60% below 2010 levels by 2050[2]; and
o  
in that context setting out clear, specific,
ambitious and fair legally binding mitigation commitments that put the world on
track towards achieving the below 2°C objective. These commitments must be
consistent with the UNFCCC's principles applied in the light of evolving responsibilities, capabilities and different national
circumstances;

 ensure dynamism by providing for a global
     review, to be conducted every five years, to strengthen the ambition of
     these mitigation commitments consistent with the latest science; 
 strengthen transparency and
     accountability in order to be able to assess whether emissions reduction
     targets and related commitments have been met. A common set of rules and
     procedures for annual reporting and regular verification and international
     expert reviews of emission inventories needs to be established;
 encourage climate-resilient sustainable
     development by promoting international cooperation and supporting policies
     that decrease vulnerability and improve countries' capacity to adapt to
     the impacts of climate change; and
 promote efficient and effective
     implementation and cooperation by encouraging policies that mobilise
     substantial, transparent and predictable public and private sector investment in low-emission climate-resilient development.

These objectives should be set out in the
Protocol. A technical work programme, to be completed by 2017, should develop
the detailed rules, processes and institutions needed to achieve these
objectives.
To join the Protocol, a Party must make a
mitigation commitment. Parties will be able to participate in decision-making
under the Protocol and have access to financial and other resources to support
the implementation of the Protocol. Mitigation commitments under the Protocol
should be equally legally binding on all Parties. 
This will give the clearest signal to
governments, markets and the public that Parties to the Protocol are committed
to fighting climate change as they provide: 

 the strongest expression of a Party's
     political will to achieve its commitments; 
 necessary predictability and certainty
     for all public and private actors; and 
 durability in the context of domestic
     political changes. 

It is incumbent on those countries
advocating that mitigation commitments should not be binding at international
level to demonstrate how these advantages can be delivered under an alternative
approach.
All G20 nations, representing around 75% of
global emissions, as well as other high and middle-income countries are
expected to ratify the Protocol in a timely manner and to implement it from
2020 onwards. The EU, China and the US should send a particularly important
signal of political leadership, setting the pace by joining the Protocol as
early as possible. The Protocol should enter into force as soon as countries
accounting for more than 40Gt of CO2equivalent emissions in 2015
have deposited their instrument of ratification. This represents approximately
80% of current global emissions.
3.           Securing
ambitious reductions of greenhouse gas emissions
3.1.        The EU 2030 target and
intended nationally determined contribution 
The climate and energy policy efforts of
the EU are delivering results. EU emissions declined by 19% between 1990 and
2013, while over the same period EU GDP grew by 45%. The EU's 2030 climate and
energy framework, as agreed by EU leaders in October 2014, will further
strengthen the policy landscape. It sets out a binding, economy-wide reduction
target, covering all sectors and all sources of emissions, including
agriculture, forestry and other land uses, of at least 40% domestic reductions
in emissions by 2030 compared to 1990. This target is ambitious and fair and it
is in line with a cost-efficient pathway to at least 80% domestic reductions by
2050[3]. The EU has already taken significant steps to become the most
emission efficient economy in the world. The 2030 target will decrease the
emissions intensity of the EU economy by a further 50%. The EU's recently
approved investment plan will unlock substantial private finance to modernise and further
decarbonise the EU’s economy.
There is no merit in proposing a higher
conditional target at the present time. Should the outcome of the negotiations
warrant a more ambitious target, then the EU should be open to the use of
international credits to complement domestic commitments as long as their
environmental integrity is fully secured and double counting is avoided.
3.2.        Sharing the global effort
The EU accounts for 9%
of global emissions and this proportion is falling. In November 2014 the
world's two largest emitters - China (25% of global emissions) and the US (11%)
– followed the EU by announcing their indicative post 2020 targets. Combined,
these targets would cover close to half of global emissions. For the Protocol
to be effective, and to achieve a global level-playing field, it needs to have
the following:
·        
Broad geographical coverage. To achieve the
necessary coverage of emissions all Parties, except LDCs, need to put forward
their INDCs as early as possible in 2015. All G20, high and middle-income
countries should be in a position to do so by the end of the first quarter of
2015. These INDCs should be communicated in accordance with the information
requirements agreed in Lima. Table 1 sets out the at least 40% domestic
reduction target as agreed by EU Leaders in October 2014 in the form of an INDC
consistent with the information requirements agreed in Lima to ensure that
targets are transparent, quantifiable, and comparable. This table provides a
simple template that could serve as a possible model for those Parties still
formulating their INDC. On a voluntary basis, LDCs could submit INDCs that
summarise policies and measures with an estimate of emissions reductions. All
other Parties to the Protocol must at all times maintain a mitigation
commitment. These should be set out alphabetically by Party in an Annex to the
Protocol.
·        
Comprehensive coverage of sectors and emissions.
Parties' commitments must create strong incentives for all actors to further
reduce and limit global emissions. The Protocol should require emissions
reductions in all sectors, including agriculture, forestry and other land uses,
international aviation and shipping and fluorinated gases. ICAO, IMO, and the
Montreal Protocol should act to effectively regulate emissions from
international aviation and shipping and the production and consumption of
fluorinated gases, respectively, by the end of 2016.
·        
The highest possible level of ambition. Well in
advance of the Paris conference, each Party must choose its mitigation
commitment type and define its level of ambition and scope in light of evolving
responsibilities, capabilities and different national circumstances. Countries
with the highest responsibilities and capabilities need to have the most
ambitious mitigation commitments. Each Party's INDC should represent a
significant progression in the level of mitigation ambition and scope compared
to its current pledge. It should demonstrate convergence on low levels of
overall emissions and per capita emissions and improvement in emission
intensity over time.
·        
Robust mitigation commitments. Economy-wide
absolute targets combined with emission budgets are the most robust commitment
type. They have a number of advantages including certainty, transparency,
flexibility and, if used widely, reducing the risk of carbon leakage. In line
with the idea of progression over time, all countries that already have such
targets should maintain and increase these against a historic base year or
reference period. G20 and other high-income countries that do not have absolute
targets under the Protocol from 2020 should commit to do so by 2025 at the
latest. Other emerging economies and middle-income countries are encouraged to
do so as early as possible and not later than 2030.
4.           Ensuring dynamism through regular review of targets
The Protocol should set out a process,
applicable to all Parties, to regularly review and strengthen mitigation
commitments, consistent with the Protocol's long term goal. If Parties'
collective efforts fall short of what is necessary, the process should
encourage Parties to raise the level of ambition of existing commitments and
formulate sufficiently ambitious commitments in subsequent target periods.
Starting in 2020, the review should be
repeated every five years and facilitate transparency, clarity and
understanding of mitigation commitments in light of their contribution to the
below 2°C objective. The review should invite Parties to explain progress on
their mitigation commitments and why they think their actions have been fair
and ambitious.
The process should be informed by science,
be evidence-based, and be guided by considerations of evolving
responsibilities, capabilities and different national circumstances. It should
be simple, efficient, and avoid duplication of other processes. The
arrangements for the review cycle should be improved over time to stay on track
to achieve the below 2°C objective.
The Protocol and accompanying decisions by
the Conference of the Parties (COP) need to provide for the dynamic
mobilisation of climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building for
eligible Parties, particularly those with least capabilities. This will include
processes to regularly assess and improve the adequacy and effectiveness of the
means of implementation mobilised by the GCF, the Global Environmental Facility
(GEF), and other relevant institutions. Support for Parties to regularly review
and strengthen their approaches to adaptation over time will also need to be
ensured in Paris.
5.           Strengthening transparency and accountability
The Protocol must set out the key elements
of a common transparency and accountability system, applicable to all Parties.
This must include robust rules on monitoring, reporting, verification and
accounting, and a process for holding each Party accountable for achieving its
commitments. This system will be essential to provide confidence that each
Party is implementing its commitments and is on track to meet its target. It
will also be crucial to build trust, encourage ambition, and to provide
predictability and legal certainty. As such, Parties should submit, at the
latest by the time of ratification, the most recent set of annual emissions
inventories from 2010 covering the period up to 2015.
This system should be fit for the long
term. While it must be sufficiently flexible to cater for a diverse range of
commitment types, national capabilities and circumstances, this flexibility
should not undermine transparency, accountability and ambition. Independent
expert review teams should conduct regular reviews. The new Protocol should
recognise net transfers between those countries that have decided to link their
domestic carbon markets and this should be taken into account when evaluating
compliance.
Finally, the Protocol should establish a
body to facilitate implementation and address questions that are raised over
compliance with regard to the implementation of any Party's commitments. This
body should focus on commitments related to mitigation, including monitoring,
reporting, verification and accounting. The body should be expert and
non-political, with its mandate to be specified in the Protocol. 
6.           Achieving climate
resilience through adaptation
While ambitious mitigation action is
essential, it will be equally important to encourage individual and
collaborative actions to prepare for and adapt to the adverse impacts of
climate change. The role of the land use sector with regard to resilience of
food security, and other environmental, social and economic benefits are key to
this work. The EU's strategy on adaptation, complementing Member States' strategies,
aims to develop a more climate-resilient Europe. Ecosystem-based
adaptation can reduce flood risk and soil erosion as well as improve water and
air quality.
In the context of achieving climate
resilient sustainable development of all Parties, the Protocol should reinforce
the commitments of all Parties to continue to formulate, plan and implement
measures to facilitate adaptation and to report on these through their national
communications. The Protocol should continue to facilitate assistance to those
regions and countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects
of climate change, including through providing financial and technical support
and capacity building.
In this way the Protocol will provide
further visibility for adaptation action and support, and strengthen the
monitoring and reporting provisions under the UNFCCC. It will also enable
greater understanding of the effectiveness of measures carried out to
facilitate adequate adaptation drawing on national reports and other relevant
information, in order to inform further enhanced action to be undertaken by
Parties.
With the adoption of the Protocol, further
COP decisions should strengthen the implementation of the provisions under the
Cancun Adaptation Framework and the Nairobi Work Programme.
7.           Promoting
implementation and cooperation
7.1.        Mobilising public and private climate finance
The transformation into low emission
climate resilient economies will only be achieved through large-scale shifts in
investment patterns. The Protocol should promote investments in low emission,
climate-resilient programmes and policies. All countries should commit to take
steps to improve their enabling environments for attracting climate friendly
investments. In line with the Commission Communication “A global partnership
for Poverty eradication and Sustainable Development after 2015”, all resources
should be effectively used to reach various internationally agreed sustainable
development and climate objectives. Countries in a position to do so should
mobilise financial support for eligible Parties to the Protocol. The base of
financial support needs to be broadened over time as capabilities of Parties
change. Clarity should also be provided by all Parties on the climate impact of
financial flows that do not fall within the remit of climate finance. Financing
for climate action should continue to reflect national governments'
commitments, enabling environments and investment strategies post 2020. The
amount of climate finance to be mobilised will also depend on the ambition and
quality of the proposed INDCs, subsequent investment plans and national
adaptation planning processes. At this stage, as INDCs and national adaptation
planning processes are not fully known, it is too early to elaborate on the scale
and type of climate-related finance needed post 2020.
Public sector climate finance will continue
to play an important in mobilising resources after 2020. The Protocol should
also recognise the importance of the private sector as a key source to scaling
up climate finance. The Protocol should clarify the role of the GCF and the GEF
in providing support for implementation. It should provide assurances to the
poorest countries and those most vulnerable to climate change that they will
continue to receive priority support. This can best be achieved if the
financing framework of the Protocol is fully consistent with the Financing for
Development process and the post 2015 Development agenda.
The Protocol should promote the formulation
and implementation of strong enabling environments for the transformation to
low emission climate resilient economies including: 

 ambitious national climate policies; 
 effective governance, including
     investment frameworks, price incentives and financing instruments
     favouring low-emission and climate resilient investments; and 
 providing information on how to address
     climate change. 

Carbon pricing and the investment policies
of public development banks will play a central role in this. Mainstreaming
climate considerations into all policies, development strategies and
investments is essential to make use of the synergies between development,
mitigation and adaptation financing.
7.2.        Scaling up international
cooperative action
Sharing information on experiences with
policy design and promoting good practice will greatly accelerate and broaden
climate action. In recent years, the EU has been proactive in bilateral and
multilateral initiatives to do this, e.g. via bilateral policy dialogues on
emissions trading; launching sustainable energy initiatives that contribute to
the development of low-carbon economies; or by promoting the development and
practical deployment of adaptation policies through the Global Climate Change
Alliance, which now comprises 38 vulnerable developing countries and eight
regions in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
The Protocol should encourage more
systematic exchange of experiences within and across geographical regions,
bringing together technical expertise including from specialised organisations,
the private sector, academia, regions and municipalities. The Protocol should
provide for the recognition of significant initiatives that implement and
complement national efforts to reduce emissions and to adapt to the adverse
effects of climate change. At the Paris conference it should also be decided to
continue the work programme to identify additional mitigation action in 2016,
working closely with the GCF and other financial institutions. This will be of
particular relevance if there is a gap between the aggregate level of ambition
of mitigation commitments and the emission reductions required to achieve the
below 2°C objective.
7.3.        Supporting the
development and deployment of climate technologies
The development and deployment of climate
technologies has an essential role to play in meeting climate change
objectives, as well as in contributing to job creation and sustainable economic
growth. The combination of research funding, market uptake measures, education
programmes, finance and policies that impose a price on emissions create an
enabling environment for a broad spectrum of technologies. This includes
technologies to promote resilience to extreme weather impacts, climate services
and water management systems, as well as energy production, industrial
processes, transport, agriculture, and reducing deforestation.
Countries choose the most appropriate
technological options for themselves, often supported by technology needs
assessments and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN). Innovation including
the necessary up-scaling of technology transfer is dependent on voluntary
collaboration with private sector actors to develop, finance and deploy a
technology. It is essential to preserve the existing intellectual property
rules.
The Protocol should recognise the role
already played by the Technology Executive Committee and the CTCN, in
combination with a reformed technology needs assessment process. 
7.4.        Building
capacity
Capacity building should be an integral
element of support for all Protocol-related activities, including adaptation
planning, reporting obligations, emissions inventories, technology transfer,
and mitigation projects. This should, therefore, be provided through the
institutions responsible for supporting activities in these areas, and must be
tailored to country needs.
The existing arrangements under the
Convention could be strengthened, although the
Durban Forum on Capacity Building will remain the appropriate space for
discussions on this topic. The EU is actively integrating capacity building in
its support to climate action in developing countries, including in relation to
mitigation commitments.
The Paris conference should agree to assist
those countries that need assistance to set up emission inventories,
monitoring, reporting and verification systems, and to develop low emission and
climate-resilient development strategies with the right incentive structures.
8.           Mobilising other EU policies
In the coming months, the EU will step up
its climate diplomacy ahead of the Paris conference. EU Foreign Ministers have
endorsed a Climate Diplomacy Action Plan which was jointly developed by the
European External Action Service and the Commission. 
It includes the following actions:

 raising climate change as a strategic
     priority in political dialogues, including at G7 and G20 meetings and the
     UN General Assembly;
 supporting low-emission and climate and
     disaster resilient development through EU development cooperation; and
 linking climate change with its potential
     long-term consequences, including security challenges.

In addition, other EU policies can actively
support the EU’s objectives in the international negotiation process and the
implementation of the Protocol in partner countries. They
can assist partner countries in the preparatory phase of the Protocol and later
when implementing it. These include:

 Economic and development cooperation. The
     EU and its Member States are already the leading providers of official
     development assistance and climate finance to developing countries. The EU
     delivered more than €9.5 billion of climate finance in 2013. The EU should
     continue to mainstream climate objectives into its economic and
     development cooperation. To this end, for the period
     2014-20 it has already been agreed that at least 20% of the EU development
     assistance will have to be climate-relevant which is in the order of €14 billion. Member States should also set clear mainstreaming
     objectives. Further, the EU and its Member States should step up
     coordination on global climate finance to enhance impact and efficiency in
     delivery.
 Scientific research, technology
     development and innovation policy. The EU will take better advantage of
     the fact that its research and innovation framework programme Horizon 2020
     is fully open to third countries' participation and provides financial
     support to less developed countries. The EU will promote awareness of its
     commitment to invest under this programme at least €28 billion for climate
     related actions. A proportion of which will allow broad international collaboration
     to bring climate technologies to the markets, to educate scientists and
     entrepreneurs, and contributes to climate diplomacy goals.
 Trade policy.   In its bilateral trade
     agreements the EU and its free trade partners commit to promote climate goals
     and effectively implement the UNFCCC, including through regular structured
     dialogues and cooperation on climate and trade issues. Under the GSP+
     scheme the EU offers increased market access to developing countries that
     have ratified and effectively implement intentional conventions including
     on climate change. In the WTO, the EU is working with its trade partners
     towards the conclusion of a significant international agreement with
     respect to the liberalisation of trade in environmental goods and services
     before the end of 2015, in order to increase the dissemination and uptake
     of climate-friendly technologies.
 Environmental policy. Implementing the
     EU's commitments under the Global Strategic plan for biodiversity, as
     endorsed by the EU biodiversity strategy, will be critical to addressing
     climate change while generating social, economic and cultural co-benefits.
 Disaster risk reduction. EU cooperation
     on disaster risk management[4] which includes developing national risk assessments also
     addressing climate impacts and enhanced risk management capabilities
     contributes to strengthening climate adaptation.

9.           Next steps
The EU needs to:

 submit its own INDC by the end of the
     first quarter 2015;
 encourage major economies to take the
     lead through timely and ambitious INDCs particularly in the context of the
     Major Economies Forum, the G20, and the G7; 
 encourage and support as appropriate the
     preparation of ambitious INDCs by as many Parties as possible;
 make the promotion of ambitious global
     climate action a central priority of its diplomatic relations and dialogue
     with partner countries;
 promote, through the UNFCCC and other
     multilateral and bilateral discussions, the adoption of an ambitious,
     transparent and dynamic Protocol as described above;
 demonstrate and ensure the stability and
     predictability of the financial support the EU collectively provides to
     its internatonal partners for low emissions and climate-resilient
     development;
 press for the swift liberalisation of
     trade in environmental goods and services before the end of 2015;
 ensure that climate action is consistent
     with UN negotiations on Sustainable Development Goals and Sustainable
     Development Financing post-2015 and the post 2015 Framework for Disaster
     Risk Reduction; and
 ensure the second commitment period of
     the Kyoto Protocol is ratified before the end of 2015 by the EU and its
     Member States and as many Parties as needed to ensure entry into force.

The Commission will organise an
international conference to improve mutual understanding of the range of INDCs
and the adequacy of their collective ambition, and facilitate an open exchange
of views prior to the Paris conference. This conference will aim to bring
together partner countries, key experts from academia, think-tanks and
international organisations and will take place by November 2015. 
By mid-2015 the Commission will also start
to present legislative proposals to implement the 2030 climate and energy
framework to the European Parliament and the Council. 
The Commission will continue to mainstream
climate change action into its economic and development cooperation; take
initiatives to work closer together with Member States in the delivery of
climate relevant development finance; and take better advantage of the openness
of its scientific research and innovation programmes to support its
international partners, assisting them in preparing to carry out their
commitments under the new Protocol.
The Commission invites the European
Parliament and the Council to endorse the proposed approach as soon as possible.
Table 1: The EU's proposed Intended Nationally Determined Contribution
 The Commitment 
 Type || Absolute reduction from base year emissions. 
 Coverage || Economy Wide. 
 Scope || All greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol: Carbon Dioxide (CO2) ·         Methane (CH4) ·         Nitrous Oxide (N2O) ·         Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) ·         Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) ·         Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) ·         Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) 
 Base Year || 1990. 
 Period || 2021-2030 inclusive. 
 Reduction Level || Achieving at least 40% domestic reduction in emissions in 2030. 
 % of Emissions Covered || 100%. 
 Agriculture, forestry and other land uses included || Yes. 
 Net Contribution of International Market Based Mechanisms || No contribution from international credits. 
 Planning Process || European Council on 23 and 24 October 2014 approving the 2030 Climate and Energy Policy Framework (EUCO 169/14). European Commission to prepare legislative proposals to implement the 2030 framework (Commission Work Programme 2015), including on land use, land use change and forestry. 
 Fair and ambitious || This commitment is in-line with EU policies to achieve a transition to a low emissions economy, allowing for a likely chance to meet the below 2°C objective. It puts the EU on a cost effective pathway towards long term domestic emission reductions of 80%, consistent with the IPCC's assessment of the reductions required from developed countries as a group, to reduce emissions by 80-95% compared to 1990 levels by 2050. The EU has already seen its emissions peak. According to the EDGAR database, emissions from the EU's 28 Member States peaked in 1979 at around 6.4Gt CO2equivalent. 
 Key Assumptions 
 Metric Applied || Global Warming Potential on a 100 year timescale in accordance with the IPCC's 4th Assessment Report. 
 Methodologies for Estimating Emissions || IPCC Guidelines 2006. 
 Approach to accounting for agriculture, forestry and other land uses || Comprehensive accounting framework, activity or land-based approach, for emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry, building upon: (i) rules as agreed under 2/CMP.7, applicable COP decisions and the EU's domestic legislation (Decision 529/2013/EU); and (ii) the current level of environmental integrity.   
 Coverage 
 Sectors/Source Categories || ·         Energy o    Fuel Consumption §  Energy industries §  Manufacturing industries and construction §  Transport §  Other sectors §  Other o    Fugitive emissions from fuels §  Solid fuels §  Oil and natural gas o    CO2 transport and storage ·         Industrial processes and product use o    Mineral industry o    Chemical industry o    Metal industry o    Non-energy products from fuels and solvent use o    Electronic industry o    Product uses as substitutes for ODS o    Other product manufacture and use o    Other ·         Agriculture o    Enteric fermentation o    Manure management o    Rice cultivation o    Agricultural soils o    Prescribed burning of savannas o    Field burning of agricultural residues o    Liming o    Urea application o    Other carbon-containing fertilisers o    Other ·         Waste o    Solid waste disposal o    Biological treatment of solid waste o    Incineration and open burning of waste o    Wastewater treatment and discharge o    Other ·         Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry set out in Decision 529/2013/EU o    Afforestation, reforestation o    Deforestation o    Forest management o    Cropland management o    Grazing land management o    Or equivalent land-based account using UNFCCC reporting categories o    Other categories/activities elected by the EU and its Member States as Parties to the Kyoto Protocol and its Doha Amendment. 
[1] United Nations Environment Programme  - "The
emissions gap report  2014. A UNEP synthesis report" 
[2] This is equivalent to the EU’s long-standing objective of halving
global emissions by 2050 compared to 1990, as reiterated by the Environment
Council in its conclusions of 28 October 2014.
[3] COM(2011) 112 final: A roadmap for moving to a competitive low
carbon economy in 2050
[4] Articles 5 and 6 of Decision 1313/2013 of the European Council and
of the Council on a Union Civil 
Protection Mechanism
Annex: Background information on EU and
emission profiles largest global emitters
EU cutting Greenhouse Gas
emissions while growing the economy
Source: EEA, DG ECFIN (Ameco
database), Eurostat