Debate: European Climate Law
Date: THURSDAY, 24 JUNE 2021
Speaker: Jytte Guteland
Language: EN

The climate crisis is the one issue our children will judge us upon in the future. They already do. Today, we are all stuck in the fossil economy. A large share of our emissions comes from a few countries, a relatively few individuals, but all of us emit. And the consequences – the heatwaves, the floods, the forest fires – they are felt by all of us. Unless we rapidly cut our emissions, the science is crystal clear: the future will be catastrophic. During the past months, I had the honour of leading the European Parliament’s team in the negotiations with the Commission and the Member States. It has been difficult and very intense but I am very happy to be present here today with our agreement. Increased ambition for 2030, negative emissions after 2050, a new target in 2040, a greenhouse gas budget on the way and a climate advisory board are all important wins for the European Parliament. The new Climate Law strengthens the ambition of the EU’s climate target. Perhaps the most contentious issue was the target for 2030. All of you know that. We have agreed on reduced emissions by at least 55% compared with 1990. This includes negative emissions, so-called sinks, and we also got a separate agreement on an increased level of ambition for Europe’s sinks. That will mean in practice that the 2030 climate target will mean almost 57%.  In addition, by setting a cap on how much sinks can count towards the 2030 target, we also made sure that the priority is right, that the reduction is in focus. With our insistence we made sure that the 2030 target is more ambitious and the Climate Law is more fit for purpose in that sense. The long-term goal is climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest. After 2050, emissions will be negative. To ensure that everyone does their fair share, Member States must report their progress every second year.  On the way to 2030, we now have an intermediate target for 2040 and a greenhouse gas budget. The greenhouse gas budget will make sure that we will not leave future generations to bear the burden. The emissions must go down here and now if we are to live up to the Paris Agreement. A final important win is that science is now at the heart of the EU policy. Through the brand new independent European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change, this binding law will be constantly evaluated to make sure that enough action is taken in light of the most recent science. This will push the Climate Law to be a very important one. I also know that the Climate Law will not only make sure that we are doing more, that we actually also make the sectoral legislation fit for purpose. It will also push for innovation and create more jobs in Europe. This is good news also for our future in that sense. It is not a secret that I wanted more: even more ambition for the climate, even sharper targets for 2030, a binding 2050 carbon-neutrality target on the Member State level. That is sure. But I can assure each and every one of you that I have left no stone unturned to get as ambitious a Climate Law as possible. Not just during the final 14 hours of negotiations, but throughout each and every one of our six trilogues. The alternative is not a more ambitious law. Those who vote against it today, they vote in favour of the old climate policies. They vote against climate neutrality. They vote for much lower targets for 2030 and they vote against the Climate Advisory Board. It is easy to yell for more from the side, but its much harder to take responsibility and make a true difference. I am also convinced that the Climate Law has the potential of being even more ambitious in the future. The Climate Law is like a new-born baby, with a good character, with a very strong foundation, that has the potential to grow into a very, very strong law, also in the future. Now starts the journey forward, where we need to go from word to action. We need to do more in one decade than we have done in the previous three decades together. Under the Green Deal, we must begin the socially inclusive and just transition to a sustainable economy. Everyone must take responsibility, but no one can be left behind. We now go from the time of promises to the time of action. And I want to call on the European Commission when coming in a few days with its proposals for the Fit for 2030 package, I want to make sure and push so that the proposals that will translate the Climate Law provisions into sector—specific legislation will be ambitious, future—proof and socially just. I want to conclude by thanking everyone involved in this journey. I want to thank Pedro Lourtie from the Portuguese Presidency for your very good push and for being a very strong negotiator, but also very fair. I want to also thank Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans for every constructive negotiation we had together. Thank you so much. I want to thank the entire negotiating team, including the Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and the shadows for not giving up. Thank you also to the staff in the ENVI secretariat and the S&D Group. I want to mention all of you of course, but I will say Nicolás, Pedro and Iratxe, who worked so hard all of you.  I also want to personally thank my advisor Eleanna and my assistant Tobias for always coming with smart solutions in difficult times. Of course Markus I don’t forget you who came in the end and made sure we still had energy at the very last trilogue. In the end I also want to thank all of those who were not there but who are doing so much for the climate. I want to thank the youth movements for raising their voices, the scientists for pointing at the facts. I want to also thank everyone who does that little extra in their daily lives and think about climate.  There are those who wanted to give up on climate action during the pandemic. There are those who always talk in favour of climate action but back down as soon as there is a concrete proposal on the table. Today we will show that we are a majority that stands up for the climate and stands up on the right side of history.