In the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, the climate ministers of the European Union reached an agreement on a joint climate package after more than sixteen hours of negotiations, ANP news agency reports. They have agreed in Luxembourg on five laws to ensure that 55% less greenhouse gases are emitted by 2030 than in 1990. Some important adjustments have been made to the proposals presented by the European Commission for this purpose last year.
Minister Rob Jetten (Climate and Energy, D66) is proud of the agreement, he tells ANP. “The EU is once again making it clear that Europe is and will remain the global climate frontrunner for the foreseeable future.” According to Jetten, the new laws offer “a balanced mix of subsidies, standards and pricing”.
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It has been agreed, among other things, that the free emission rights for aviation will be phased out and that maritime shipping will also be brought under the European ETS emissions system. The European ministers also want to introduce a system similar to the ETS for buildings and road transport.
Zero-emission cars
Furthermore, the climate ministers of the 27 member states have agreed that from 2035 only new zero-emission cars will be sold. That is a concession to Germany with its large car industry, because it was actually the intention from that year to ban all cars with a combustion engine. It has also been agreed that considerably more high-quality forests will be planted.
To support vulnerable households who could get into difficulties as a result of the plans, a Social Climate Fund will be created, with a budget of 59 billion euros, although that is 13 billion euros less than the European Commission had proposed.
The individual member states now have to negotiate with the European Parliament about the final laws, but European Commissioner Frans Timmermans already speaks of “a very good day for the Green Deal”.