The EU wants to become climate neutral by 2050. However, according to scientists, there is a lot of catching up to do to achieve this goal. The EU Climate Advisory Council has now presented 13 measures – and sees the individual states as having a particular responsibility.
According to researchers, more needs to be done to achieve the EU’s climate goals – especially in the areas of transport, buildings, agriculture and forestry. The potential of the so-called “Fit for 55” package for lower CO2 emissions in the EU is recognized, it said Report of the European Scientific Advisory Board on climate change. However, additional measures are essential if the international community wants to achieve its goal of climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest.
“Achieving climate neutrality by 2050 is a race against time and we cannot afford to sit back now,” said Ottmar Edenhofer, Chairman of the EU Climate Advisory Board and Director and Chief Economist of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
States have an obligation
The EU’s stated goal is to reduce CO2 emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 and to become climate neutral by 2050. The “Fit for 55” legislative package under the umbrella of the so-called Green Deal is intended to ensure this. The strategy includes measures in various areas such as energy, transport, industry and agriculture. After the majority of the planned climate laws have already been initiated in the past few months, the main focus now is on implementation.
In order to achieve the goals, the experts recommend 13 so-called key measures for a more effective implementation and design of the EU’s climate policy framework for different periods of time. According to the scientists, the EU countries in particular now have a duty: The advisory board urgently called on governments to improve and implement their national energy and climate plans, it said.
There is a need to catch up in agricultural policy
At the EU level, outstanding negotiations on important Green Deal initiatives should be concluded quickly. Among other things, something has to happen in agriculture. According to the experts, emissions have not decreased here because there are too few financial incentives for farmers. “At the same time, EU forests are absorbing less and less carbon as they age and the impacts of climate change worsen.”
The experts recommend that the EU’s agricultural policy should be better aligned with climate goals: “Among other things, by shifting funding away from emissions-intensive agricultural practices such as livestock breeding and towards lower-emission products and activities.” According to the recommendation, a form of emissions pricing should be introduced in the agricultural and land use sector by 2031 at the latest.
Climate Advisory Board emphasizes social consequences
The advisory board also recommends that EU policy be directed entirely towards an exit from fossil fuels. While the EU pushed for an ambitious result on this issue at the last world climate conference, its own policy has not yet been fully aligned. The Climate Advisory Board also emphasizes the social consequences of the climate change. A just and fair transition is necessary to maintain public support for climate action.
The EU Climate Advisory Board (European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change) was founded in 2021. It consists of 15 independent scientists who advise the EU on climate change issues.