The European Union needs to ensure policy coherence in all its efforts to protect the climate
The Greens co-president Bernd Voss and the Greens member Marieke Schouten welcomed the EU’s aims in stepping up its ambition in protecting the climate during the 145th CoR Plenary Session on 30 June and 1 July. They emphasised the importance of meeting the 2030 climate targets and endorsing this at COP26. Voss and Schouten supported the CoR opinions on stepping up Europe’s 2030 climate ambition towards COP26 and on forging a climate-resilient Europe.
Extremely high temperatures in Canada and enormous damage caused by a tornado in Czech Republic: these current events and many more demonstrate how the climate has been and is changing, having a negative impact on health, environment as well as livelihoods. It is necessary to implement a more ambitious set of measures, based on what scientists have identified as necessary, in order to mitigate further climate damage and to adapt to the impacts of climate change which we are already experiencing.
Voss emphasised that a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 is not sufficient. As ambitious as the target seems, it is not enough to limit global warming to a manageable level. Moreover, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions needs to include all greenhouse gases. Voss highlighted in particular the need to reduce methane emissions effectively and in a timely manner to achieve the 2030 climate targets.
Furthermore, Voss pointed out that the energy sector plays a particularly important role in combating climate change. Currently, renewable energies account for 16% of primary energy supply in the European Union. In order to ensure further economic and social development, it is imperative to develop renewable energy sources on a large scale. In this regard, Voss stressed the need for ambitious renewable energy targets.
Schouten advocated for smart and green policy coherence. Both energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction could be achieved via the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the Ecodesign Directive. Furthermore, Schouten called for the alignment of climate adaptation policies with the European Green Deal and with the Common Agricultural Policy.
For example, it is possible to use crops such as flax as sustainable building materials, or to apply nature-based solutions such as greening roof surfaces. Furthermore, urban spaces have to be designed in a multifunctional and green way. Finally, Schouten called for clean, green and climate-neutral mobility as well as for sustainable management of forests, soils and water systems as they all contribute to both climate change mitigation and adaptation.