Share this on social media
EU climate law talks dodge the 'elephant in the room'
(Reuters, 2 Feb 2021) Negotiators working on a landmark climate bill for the bloc have so far failed to agree to legally binding emissions cuts.
European Union negotiators inched on Tuesday toward agreeing parts of the bloc's landmark climate law, but not the binding emissions-cutting targets that would form the centrepiece of the bill, EU lawmakers and officials said.
The planned law is the backbone of the EU's plan to become "climate neutral" by 2050. It will set legally-binding goals to cut emissions and oblige the European Commission to regularly review them based on the latest climate science.
The bill needs approval from the European Parliament and the 27 EU member states, who are attempting to agree the final text by the end of June.
Negotiators on Tuesday came close to agreeing parts of the law that would force the EU to set an emissions-cutting target for 2040, and require member states to create plans to cope with climate-related impacts such as increased heatwaves and drought, according to EU lawmakers and officials.
External link
Reuters, 2 Feb 2021: EU climate law talks dodge the 'elephant in the room'
