COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the 2019 Climate Action Summit hosted by the United Nations Secretary General in New York
Date: 2019-09-11
Institutions: Directorate-General for Climate Action, European Commission
Subjects: UN Secretary-General, climate change, environmental cooperation, environmental protection, greenhouse gas, international agreement, reduction of gas emissions, summit meeting

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  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 11.9.2019  COM(2019) 412 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the 2019 Climate Action Summit hosted by the United Nations Secretary General in New York             
 
 
Introduction 

Climate change is a defining challenge of our generation and the EU has been at the forefront 
of negotiating a multilateral framework to respond to this global challenge. In 2015, the EU 
diplomacy  played  a  leading  role  in  brokering  the  historic  and  global  Paris  Climate 
Agreement.  195  countries  agreed  on  a  simple  goal:  to  hand  over  to  future  generations  a 
healthier planet  and more prosperous, modern  and fair societies.   For the first  time the UN 
system secured contributions from all countries to limit their emissions of greenhouse gases. 
All the world’s largest emitters are now on board, including China, which alone accounts for 
more than one quarter of global emissions. The Paris Agreement sets a goal of limiting global 
average temperature rise to well below 2° Celsius while pursuing a limit of 1.5° C.  It holds 
its Parties accountable through a robust transparency system that will track their progress in 
implementing  their  contributions,  and  requires  Parties  every  five  years  to  raise  the  level  of 
ambition of their contributions in light of the latest science.  

The  EU  has  acted  domestically  with  speed  and  decisiveness  to  put  real  actions  behind  the 
Paris Agreement commitments. At the start of this Commission mandate almost 5 years ago, 
President Juncker defined, as a clear priority to tackle climate change – to establish a resilient 
European Energy Union with a forward-looking Climate Change Policy to bring about a fair 
and just transition to a modern, climate neutral and competitive economy, while at the same 
creating  opportunities  for  new  jobs  and  sustainable  growth.  Climate  action  is  also 
fundamental to achieving all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.  

As a result of this policy, the EU is now the only large economy in the world that has fully 
translated into legislation the steps to meet its Paris Agreement pledges and will work to cut 
by  at  least  40%  its  greenhouse  gas  emissions  by  2030  preparing  for  a  climate-neutral 
economy.  

Today, the EU has arguably the most comprehensive and ambitious legislative framework in 
place, underpinned by its long-standing democratic and inclusive decision-making process. It 
is successfully transitioning towards a climate neutral economy – between 1990 and 2017 its 
greenhouse gas emissions fell by 23% while the economy grew by 58%. As our international 
partners  intensify  their  own  transition  efforts,  the  interest  in  the  EU  model  and  policies 
grows, offering excellent openings for policy cooperation and economic diplomacy.  

Despite changes in policy brought on by domestic political cycles, most notably in the United 
States, global support for the Paris Agreement remains strong, with all but one of the world’s 
major economies continuing to endorse it. Nevertheless, it is clear that the global transition 
necessary to reach the Paris goals is not happening fast enough. The latest scientific reports, 
notably  the  1.5  degrees  Special  Report  by  the  Intergovernmental  Panel  on  Climate  Change 
(IPCC)1,  confirm  that  the  first  round  of  Parties’  contributions  to  Paris  are  not  sufficient  to 
meet the Agreement’s goals. As result of these developments the public concern is growing 

1 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report 2018 on Global Warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels 
and  related  global  greenhouse  gas  emission  pathways,  in  the  context  of  strengthening  the  global  response  to  the  threat of 
climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty. 

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and  citizens  are  calling  for  more  ambitious  and  decisive  action  on  climate  change,  as 
confirmed by the recent European elections and Eurobarometer survey on climate change2.  

It  is  against  this  backdrop  that  the  United  Nations  Secretary  General  (UNSG)  António 
Guterres is hosting a Climate Action Summit in New York on 23 September 2019, the day 
before the opening of the UN General Assembly. It will be followed by the UN Sustainable 
Development Goals Summit on 24 and 25 September.  

The  objective  of  the  Climate  Action  Summit  is  to  boost  climate  ambition  and  accelerate 
action  to  implement  the  Paris  Agreement.  In  particular,  the  Summit  seeks  to  encourage 
Parties to raise the level of ambition of their existing emissions reduction contributions and to 
submit long-term strategies, in time for the meeting of the Conference of the Parties (to the 
Paris  Agreement)  at  the  end  of  2020.    The  Summit  will  be  an  important  opportunity  for 
Heads  of  State  and  Government  to  present  their  plans  for  raising  ambition  and  progress  to 
date, as well as for subnational governments, business, public and private finance, in addition 
to civil society, to send strong market and political signals and inject momentum in the “race 
to the top”. The United Nations Secretary General Guterres has called for all Heads of State 
and Government to attend the Summit and has stressed at the same time: “Don’t come with a 
speech, come with a plan”. 

A European Union Committed to Accelerated Climate Ambition 

The EU and Member States, true to their commitment to multilateral action rooted in science, 
are actively preparing to agree and communicate by early 2020 an EU Long-Term Strategy 
with  the  objective  of  achieving  climate  neutrality  by  2050.  Coming  forward  with  such 
strategies  by  2020  is  the  expectation  that  the  Paris  Agreement  set  for  all  participating 
governments.  In  preparation  of  the  EU  long-term  strategy  and  in  order  to  allow  for  all  EU 
Member States to analyse and internalise the vision, the European Commission responded to 
the  request  of  the  European  Council  with  the  Communication  “A  Clean  Planet  for  All”3 
already  in  November  2018.  For  the  past  year  this  has  been  the  subject  of  an  in-depth 
democratic discussion at European, national and local level. In addition to the EU level, the 
EU Member States are also required to prepare their own national long-term strategies under 
the Energy Union Governance Regulation.   

A  large  majority  of  the  EU’s  Member  States  have  already  endorsed  the  EU  objective  of 
climate neutrality by 20504 and further discussions are being carried out in view of reaching a 
consensus  over  the  next  few  months.  The  European  Council  invited  the  Council  and  the 
Commission to advance work on the conditions, the incentives and the enabling framework to 
be put in place so as to ensure a transition to a climate neutral EU. The European Council will 
finalize its guidance before the end of the year in order to submit the EU’s long-term strategy 
to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in early 2020. 
It  also  invited  the  European  Investment  Bank  to  step  up  its  activities  in  support  of  climate 

2 Special Eurobarometer 490 “Climate Change” 
3 28/11/2018 - COM (2018) 773 - A Clean Planet for all - A European strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, 
competitive and climate neutral economy. 
4 EUCO 9/19 European Council Conclusions of 20 June 2019. 

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action. The European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of 
the Regions have already endorsed the climate neutrality goal by 2050. 

Climate neutrality by 2050, a more ambitious target than the pathway prescribed by the IPCC 
Special  report  on  1.5  degrees,  is  for  the  EU  an  investment  and  modernisation  challenge  as 
well  as  a  great  opportunity  to  get  a  “first  mover”  competitive  edge,  create  new  jobs  and 
increase standards of living for people. To pursue a lesser plan would be an abdication of our 
longstanding global climate ambition and missing an economic opportunity for the EU.  

The European Union budget is at the centre of making our climate ambition come to life. The 
European Commission proposed the EU budget of over EUR 1 trillion for the period 2021-
20275,  currently  under  negotiations.  The  European  Commission  has  proposed  that  at  least 
25% of the EU expenditure will be dedicated to climate mitigation and adaptation activities, 
including  the  European  Union’s  budget  for  international  and  development  cooperation. 
Consequently, the  future budget will incentivise climate-friendly action in all policy domains 
and will be subject to checks to ensure we do not fund investments that are not in line with 
the  transition  towards  climate  neutrality.  Horizon  Europe  will  reshape  the  direction  of 
European Research & Innovation, with climate action at its core. InvestEU, the Connecting 
Europe Facility, all our cohesion and the EU’s rural development funds will be available to 
provide  incentives  for  the  infrastructure  and  productive  investments  we  need  in  all  parts  of 
the EU.  

The deep modernisation  process  will have to  be managed well, ensuring  a fair and socially 
acceptable transition for all in the spirit of inclusiveness and solidarity. Both the EU and the 
Member  States  must  take  into  account  social  implications  from  the  outset  and  deploy  all 
relevant policies to mitigate this challenge. The EU budget, employment and social policies 
as well as cohesion policies can reduce economic, social and territorial disparities across the 
Union.  Ongoing  regional  initiatives  launched  by  the  Juncker  Commission,  such  as  the 
platform and pilot projects on coal and carbon-intensive regions in transition mark a step in 
this direction. New initiatives to  comprehensively  address  the social  and economic costs of  
climate-policies  driven  modernisation  like  the  Just  Transition  Fund  are  in  preparation.  The 
full  implementation  of  the  Circular  Economy  Action  Plan6  contributes  to  EU  efforts  to 
develop a climate neutral economy, combining resource efficiency and competitiveness7. It is 
also essential to ensure full consistency and mutual support across all relevant policy areas, 
such as air quality and biodiversity. Climate and environment policies must go hand in hand.  

It  is  crucial  also  that  the  private  sector  aligns  with  this  vision  and  that  authorities  make 
progress  on  the  enabling  framework  that  allows  the  private  sector  to  invest  in  a  climate 
neutral economy worldwide. With the set of sustainable finance measures introduced in the 
European  Union  Capital  Markets  Union,  the  European  Union  is  also  spearheading 
international  efforts  to  redirect  capital  flows  towards  our  climate  goals  and  to  manage 
financial risks stemming from climate change. Furthermore, the European Union is preparing 
jointly with other partners an initiative to be launched at the UN Climate week in New York, 

5 Commission Proposal for the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the years 2021 to 2027. 
6  Communication  from  the  European  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and 
Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions,    Closing  the  loop  -  An  EU  action  plan  for  the  Circular  Economy, 
COM (2015) 614 
7  Report  from  the  European  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and  Social 
Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  on  the  implementation  of  the  Circular  Economy  Action  Plan, 
COM (2019) 190 

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called  “the  International  Platform  on  Sustainable  Finance”,  to  coordinate  regulatory  policy 
tools  for  capital  markets.  The  platform  aims  at  exchanging  best  practices  and  bringing 
together  different  initiatives  on  environmentally  sustainable  finance  and  investment, 
labels  and 
including  green 
benchmarks.  

taxonomies,  disclosures,  standards  (e.g.  green  bonds), 

The    European  Union  believes  that  building  coherent  international  strategies  such  as  these, 
with partners, such as the G20, is the best way to stimulate investment at the scale required 
for  the  most  important  economic  transition  of  our  times  and  align  capital  flows  with  the 
objectives  of  the  Paris  Agreement.  The  EU  and  its  Member  States  have  put  the  Paris 
Agreement  and  the  Sustainable  Development  Goals  at  the  heart  of  their  external  action. 
Likewise, the EU’s array of legally binding trade and cooperation agreements will continue to 
include robust provisions to promote climate action and implement the Paris Agreement.  

The European Union Continues to Deliver 

The  European  Union  message  at  the  Climate  Summit  will  be  about  more  than  just  setting 
ambitious  targets.  It  will  be  about  solid  and  comprehensive  implementation.  The  European 
Union has already over-achieved its 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target and has 
completed its unique binding legislative framework that will allow us to over-deliver on our 
climate target for 2030, including a mechanism for governance, monitoring and verification. 

For the first time, the EU also equipped itself with an Energy Union governance framework, 
where Member States have to establish integrated national energy and climate plans (NECPs) 
for  the  period  2021-2030,  in  order  to  show  how  they  can  meet  the  2030  targets.  The 
Governance regulation provides for transparency, through a wide consultation on the national 
plans, and for increased cooperation between Member States to achieve the Energy Union’s 
goals.  The  first  draft  plans  have  been  assessed,  identifying  areas  of  improvement  to  ensure 
the delivery of the 2030 targets and to be on the path towards climate neutrality in the longer 
term.  It  has  been  estimated  that,  when  fully  implemented,  the  measures  will  enable  the 
European Union to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by around 45% (compared to 1990 
levels)  by  2030,  going  further  than  the  European  Union  objective  as  laid  down  in  the 
European Union Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to cut emissions by at least 40% 
by 2030. 

At  the  same  time,  the  European  Union  Adaptation  Strategy8  has  encouraged  national, 
regional and local adaptation action to make Europe more climate-resilient since 2013. The 
lessons  we  have  learned  by  increasing  our  resilience  to  climate  change  impacts,  such  as 
climate  proofing  of  infrastructure  and  investments,  synergies  with  disaster  risk  reduction, 
including  via  RescEU9,  wider  uptake  of  green  solutions  on  cities,  innovative  use  of  spatial 
data – will also help our international partners to enhance their own resilience. Going further, 
the  European  Commission  will  look  even  more  closely  at  how  climate  risks  may  affect 
financial stability or social cohesion. 

8  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and  Social 
Committee and the Committee of the Regions An EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change COM(2013) 216 final. 
9  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions 
“Strengthening EU Disaster Management: rescEU, Solidarity with Responsibility” COM(2017) 773 final. 

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Furthermore, according to the IPCC’s and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on 
Biodiversity  and  Ecosystem  Services’  latest  scientific  knowledge,  there  are  no  lasting 
solutions  to  climate  change  without  greater  attention  to  nature-based  solutions  including 
healthy and resilient forests. In this regard, the European Union is also working with partner 
countries  to  step  up  action  to  address  deforestation  and  forest  degradation  in  line  with  the 
recent Communication10 of the European Commission on this matter.  Additionally, the IPCC 
is currently finalising its report on the oceans and the cryosphere.  

For  the  European  Union  all  this  is  an  investment  in  our  prosperity  and  in  preparing  for  a 
sustainable, climate neutral and circular economy.  

The European Union as the Largest Climate Finance Donor  

Conscious that the EU’s emissions make up only around 9% of the global total, the EU will 
be stepping up its outreach and cooperation, financial and technical, to all partner countries. 
NDCs will lie at the core of our support. The EU is leading the global transition towards an 
inclusive, fair and climate-neutral global economy for all.  

Working with international partners and sharing experiences to inspire global climate action 
is  and  continues  to  be  a  priority,  and  we  are  leading  by  example.  The  European  Union 
remains the world's leading donor of development assistance: EUR 74.4 billion in 2018, with 
climate  action  increasingly  integrated,  stepping  up  our  support  to  the  implementation  of 
partner  countries’  NDCs  with  economic  assistance,  capacity  building,  strong  advocacy  and 
leadership in multilateral negotiations. 

Climate change affects the most vulnerable countries disproportionally. The European Union 
is the world's biggest climate finance donor. Providing over 40% of the world's public climate 
finance,  the  EU  and  its  Member  States’  contributions  have  more  than  doubled  since  2013, 
exceeding EUR 20 billion annually11. Here too, the EU's approach to  global climate action, 
including  through  the  European  Investment  Bank  and  increased  funding  for  climate  action 
from the next budget, will go well beyond the public sphere, with novel initiatives to catalyse 
and multiply private sector investment.  

The European Union’s External Investment Plan will be enhanced by the proposed 'European 
Fund  for  Sustainable  Development  Plus'  with  a  capacity  of  EUR  60  billion  to  mobilise 
sustainable  investments  towards  the  implementation  of  the  2030  Sustainable  Development 
Agenda and the Paris Climate Agreement. 

Conclusion and Next Steps 

The  European  Union  is  committed  to  securing  the  success  of  the  2019  Climate  Action 
Summit. We believe that our track record on climate action, our inclusive deliberations on a 

10  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council  ,  the  European  Economic  and  Social 
Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  “Stepping  up  EU  Action  to  Protect  and  Restore  the  World’s  Forests” 
COM/2019/352 final. 
11 2018/11/06/2018-ecofin-climate-finance-conclusions. 

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plan  for  achieving,  not  just  targeting  climate  neutrality  by  2050,  our  determination  to 
implement climate commitments, already enshrined in binding European legislation, together 
make up a powerful plan for the Summit in September. 

The  European  Union  will  be  represented  at  the  leaders’  segment  of  the  Climate  Action 
Summit by the President of the European Council Donald Tusk. The coordination of Summit 
messages  between  the  Member  States  and  the  EU  institutions,  as  well  as  the  exceptionally 
high attendance of EU leaders at the Summit, will enable the EU to transmit comprehensively 
and  coherently  the  European  story  of  ambition,  action,  unity  and  determination,  whilst 
recognising the richness of approaches applied by the individual Member States. 

A Chair’s summary  will capture the initiatives and commitments showcased at  the Climate 
Action  Summit.  Follow-up  arrangements  will  be  put  in  place  to  track  progress,  ensure 
accountability  and  facilitate  implementation  of  the  Summit  proposals.  This  will  be  taken 
forward by the United Nations system including the UNFCCC. 

All  this  forms  a  solid  basis  for  even  higher  EU  climate  ambition.  Following  the  recent 
elections  to  the  European  Parliament  and  the  formation  of  the  new  European  Commission, 
the EU will pursue the domestic debate on how to further raise ambition and to achieve the 
goals that have been set, while leaving no people or regions behind. Our expectation is that 
we  will  continue  to  take  further  bold  and  ambitious  actions  building  on  our  significant 
achievements so far.  

Climate  action  indeed  features  prominently  in  the  Political  guidelines  of  the  Commission 
President-Elect  Ursula  von  der  Leyen  as  part  of  the  proposal  for  a  European  Green  Deal 
aiming at making the EU the world’s first climate neutral continent12. The threefold goal of 1) 
firming  up  the  long-term  objective  of  climate  neutrality  by  2050  in  binding  legislation,  2) 
increasing  climate  ambition  in  the  short  to  medium-term,  in  synergy  with  preserving 
Europe’s  natural  environment  and  3)  strengthening  international  action  to  encourage  third 
countries  to  greater  ambition  in  fighting  climate  change  will  be  a  key  priority  for  the 
incoming Commission.  

12 Political guidelines for the next Commission (2019-2024) - "A Union that strives for more: My agenda for Europe" - 16 
July 2019: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/political-guidelines-next-commission_en.pdf. 

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