Business Briefing: Raising European climate ambition for 2030: A CLG Europe position paper
27 November 2019 – CLG Europe welcomes the clear and highly significant commitment from the President-elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to publish within her first 100 days in office a European Green Deal which will be her central priority and hallmark of her five-year term. As European business leaders CLG Europe also strongly endorses the President-elect’s commitment to set the EU on a path to becoming the world’s first climate neutral continent, and to achieve this by 2050 at the latest.
But a long-term vision for climate neutrality is not enough on its own, which is reflected in the President-elect’s proposals for a European Green Deal. Amongst the urgent measures included in this package of proposals is an increase of the EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets for 2030, from the current target of 40 per cent to 50 per cent, and potentially to 55 per cent.
CLG Europe therefore welcomes moves from the European Commission to increase ambition and supports an increase of the emissions reductions target to at least 55 per cent for 2030.
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About
This policy briefing brings together CLG Europe’s position statement on an increased EU greenhouse gas emissions reductions target for 2030 to at least 55 per cent, along with analysis of the business, scientific, and economic case for action. The briefing also includes evidence of the strong targets and commitments that CLG Europe members are already taking in support of climate neutrality by 2050.
This briefing has been issued by CLG Europe – an influential and diverse group of European businesses collaborating to define and lead the business response at the European level to the climate crisis, who also works with EU policymakers to support and accelerate economy-wide action. In response to the growing climate crisis, leading businesses are stepping up their ambition – setting emissions reduction targets aligned with the latest science, aiming to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, and calling for clear ambitious government policies in support of a prosperous future in which global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees. Clear and consistent government policies to drive the decarbonisation of the economy are critical to unlock investments in the zero carbon economies of the future.
Citing this briefing
Please refer to this publication as University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). (2019). Raising European climate ambition for 2030: A CLG Europe position paper, Cambridge, UK: CLG Europe.
Author and acknowledgements
This policy briefing was prepared by Sanna Markkanen, Romain Pardo, Ursula Woodburn, Martin Porter, Eliot Whittington and Annabelle Roblin. We would like to thank CLG Europe members for their comments.
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). Some rights reserved.
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not represent an official position of CLG, CISL, the wider University of Cambridge, or clients.