5 July 2018
14 EU Ministers Issue Statement on EU’s Long-Term Strategy, Climate Ambition
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Ministers from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK issued a statement inviting the European Commission to present a proposal for a long-term climate strategy consistent with the Paris Agreement.

According to the ministers, the strategy should be based on the latest available science and provide direction for European climate action and predictability for local governments, households, the private sector and financial institutions.

The statement urges the EU to consider announcing at COP 24 its readiness to update its NDC by 2020.

25 June 2018: Fourteen EU ministers have issued a common statement on the EU’s long-term strategy (LTS) and climate ambition during a meeting of the EU Environment Council in Luxembourg on 25 June 2018, underscoring that the EU must continue demonstrating climate leadership, and create “positive momentum” among all Parties to the Paris Agreement on climate change to raise global ambition.

In the statement, the ministers welcome the European Council’s 22 March conclusions, inviting the European Commission to present a proposal for an LTS consistent with the Paris Agreement. The LTS should, according to the statement, provide direction for European climate action and predictability for local governments, households, the private sector and financial institutions, enabling them to channel resources towards low-emission and climate-resilient development and to inform research and innovation.

According to the ministers, sector-specific policies may help the EU achieve higher emission reductions by 2030 than its current goal of 40% below 1990 levels.

The statement emphasizes that the proposal should be: elaborated in a transparent, inclusive manner; based on the latest available science, especially in light of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15); and presented to EU member States prior to the 24th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 24) to the UNFCCC.

The statement notes that the proposal should:

  • consider several pathways for reducing emissions towards carbon neutrality based on the Paris Agreement’s long-term objectives, including a 1.5°C scenario and at least one pathway towards net zero emissions by 2050;
  • examine, inter alia, the consistency of the EU’s current emission reduction target of at least 40% in 2030 compared to 1990 levels with a trajectory for the various long-term pathways considered, taking equity and cost effectiveness into account;
  • consider the need for an economically efficient green transition; and
  • engage stakeholders on assumptions, technology costs, and data and scenario development to strengthen the proposal’s quality and credibility.

The statement further notes that sector-specific policies may help the EU achieve higher emission reductions by 2030, with ministers asking the Commission to assess, prior to COP 24, the impact of such policies on the EU’s 2030 target and on emission reductions up to 2030. Following this assessment, the statement urges the EU to consider announcing at COP 24 its readiness to update its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) by 2020.

Signatories to the statement are members of the Green Growth Group, and include ministers from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK. [Common Statement on the EU’s Long-Term Strategy and Climate Ambition]


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