During the plenary session (28-29/11/2018) of the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate with Miguel ARIAS CANETE, Member of the EC in charge of Climate Action and Energy, on the new EU strategy for long-term greenhouse gas emissions reduction to meet Paris Agreement targets. Statements by Maros SEFCOVIC, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Energy Union, Miguel ARIAS CAÑETE, Member of the EC in charge of Climate Action and Energy, Kathleen VAN BREMPT (S&D, BE), Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA (ECR, PL), Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY (ALDE, NL) and Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL).

Brussels

debate

plenary session

EICKHOUT, Bas (Greens/EFA, NL)

VAN BREMPT, Kathleen (S&D, BE)

GERBRANDY, Gerben-Jan (Renew, NL)

ARIAS CAÑETE, Miguel (EPP, ES, EC)

ŠEFČOVIČ, Maroš (SK, EC)

COP 21 (T)

WIŚNIEWSKA, Jadwiga (ECR, PL)

fight against climate change (T)

COP 24 (T)

Strategy for long-term EU greenhouse gas emissions reduction in accordance with the Paris agreement: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Maros SEFCOVIC, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Energy Union, The policies put in place will go a long way even after 2030, but they will only bring us to emission reductions of around 60% by 2050. And this is not sufficient for the EU to contribute to the Paris Agreement temperature goals. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Maros SEFCOVIC, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Energy Union, The strategy we are presenting today builds on the comprehensive approach. The strategy looks at all the key economic sectors, innovation, finance, agriculture, circular economy, trade and ensure how to make climate neutrality a cornerstone of a modern European economy fit for the 21st century that will leave the planet clean. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Miguel ARIAS CA&#209;ETE, Member of the EC in charge of Climate Action and Energy, With this strategy the EU will become the first major economy to be climate neutral. Others will follow. If we don't lead nobody else will. And if nobody else acts climate change will severely impact Europe and the rest of the world. The Commission proposal is based in a detailed assessment looking at the possibilities for economic and social transformation that delivers at the carbonisation pathways. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Kathleen VAN BREMPT (S&amp;D, BE), We need to make sure we are moving into the right direction and we are doing that in a way that we take everybody on board. And I am looking to my colleague Ivo Belet and I like your speech and I hope the next time if we vote on the CO2 of the cars or on the energy efficiency that we have your support to do so. 

SOUNDBITE (Polish), Jadwiga WI&#346;NIEWSKA (ECR, PL), Poland is very much open for honest and constructive dialogue in this regard. We want to know, we want to find out how to achieve the objective in a cost effective manner, in a manner that would be socially acceptable and also in a way that would not negatively impact the energy security of a country. But I am just worried that some of the scenarios, especially the negative ones might not do much or change much in Europe but they will mean a lot for Poland, my country. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY (ALDE, NL), My plea is that the Commission should launch a climate proofing exercise of the next 2021-2027 budget proposal. I think we cannot leave it like this after you have published this fundamental document. The Commission should also look again for added plans of sustainable finance, because just sustaining a very small part of the financial sector will not be sufficient for this fundamental change of our economy and society. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), What this is, is just 8 scenarios on the table and more importantly it is avoiding one of the key questions, what are we going to do by 2030? Because if you are sketching a beautiful scenario out there that we should do it for everything, for people, for economy for environment, so we are creating a heaven on Earth. But we wait until 2030 before we do additional actions? That economically doesn't make sense and enviromentaly it doesn't make sense because IPCC was very clear. We need early action to meet the 1.5 degrees. 2030 is not early action and for Katowice it doesn't make sense because everyone will watch Europe. Are you going to raise ambition before 2030 because there is a gap in reaching the Paris commitments.