Reducing CO₂ emissions by 40% is not ambitious enough

Reducing CO₂ emissions by 40% is not ambitious enough

Belgium wants to encourage the European Union to reduce CO? by "more than 40%" by 2030, after the majority federal parties finally reached a consensus. They want an interparliamentary communal resolution. Walloon MP and Senator Philippe Henry (Ecolo) has invited Belgium to join the eight countries in the so-called "ambitious coalition" – Germany, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, France, Finland, Portugal, Sweden and Spain. These countries are encouraging the EU to raise the bar even higher and aim to reduce CO? emissions by 55%. Some think this is the only way to adhere to the Paris agreement (COP 21), which aims to continue previous efforts and limit temperature rises to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels. 

At current levels, the planet would experience a 3 – 4 degree rise in temperatures, which numerous experts say would be catastrophic. "If the federal majority really settles on a reduction of more than 40% by 2030, to me that would say Belgium is not being ambitious enough", says Philippe Henry. 

He added that the EU is already planning to reduce emissions by 40% by 2030. The current Belgian position is therefore "neither serious nor ambitious". 

He also said that if the federal majority confirms this position, the Ecolo party cannot support it. The MP and Senator also said that reaching a unanimous resolution within the Belgian parliaments would be important for the Belgian delegation going to the next COP in Katowice, Poland. The EU could play an important international role at that conference. 

The Brussels Times


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