‘Put a price on carbon, nature cannot pay,’ EU’s von der Leyen tells COP26

(EurActiv, 2 Nov 2021) Countries must put a price on the carbon dioxide emissions causing climate change, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the United Nations COP26 summit on Monday (1 November).

Von der Leyen joined leaders from more than 100 countries in Glasgow for the start of the COP26 conference, which will attempt to finish the rules to implement 2015’s Paris Agreement.

“We need to agree to a robust framework of rules, for example, to make global carbon markets a reality. Put a price on carbon, nature cannot pay that price anymore,” she said in a speech delivered in Glasgow.

Talks on designing a market to trade carbon emissions reductions under the Paris accord derailed the last UN climate summit in 2019, with countries squabbling over how the system would count towards their national climate targets.

The 27-country EU has pledged to cut its emissions at least 55% by 2030 from 1990 levels, and von der Leyen urged other countries to commit to deeper emissions cuts this decade.

“We have to give strong commitments to reduce emissions by 2030. Net zero by 2050 is good, but it’s not enough,” she said.

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EurActiv, 2 Nov 2021: ‘Put a price on carbon, nature cannot pay,’ EU’s von der Leyen tells COP26