The Climate Law is meant to be the very first legislative act the von der Leyen Commission will present to meet the ambitious target of making Europe the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The Socialists and Democrats have always been at the forefront of this crucial battle. The S&D Group is firmly convinced that in order to be considered as courageous, ambitious and serious, the Commission’s proposal should set legally binding national and EU-wide intermediate targets, specific for 2030 (55%) and at least indicative for 2040, for reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. We also call for the creation of an ‘Advisory Council on Climate’ that, by providing recommendations and ensuring the coherence of the EU’s policies with the climate goals, can ultimately monitor and assess progress towards reaching the 2050 climate neutrality target and the 2030 and 2040 interim targets.

Last but not least, the Climate Law should also define a fixed amount of greenhouse gas emissions for carbon budgeting in line with the set targets for 2030, 2040 and the 2050 climate neutrality objective.

If we want to have a strong signal, then we need to have a Climate Law that is adopted before the COP26 Summit in the U.K.

S&D vice-president responsible for the European Green Deal, Miriam Dalli, stated:

“If the EU is serious about its actions, the proposed Climate Law cannot be a symbolic exercise. Intermediate targets are a must if the EU is to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The ambition must be clear because the industry itself needs to know what it should be preparing for.

“It is evident that for the EU to meet its 2050 target, a reduction target of at least 55% for 2030 and an intermediate target for 2040, must be set. This would avoid last-minute rushes for the industries to adapt. It is equally important to have a binding Climate Law before the COP26 Summit later this year, giving the EU credence when advocating for climate change action.”

S&D environment committee member, Mohammed Chahim, added:

“This Climate Law is a great step towards carbon neutrality in 2050. It will help us to achieve carbon neutrality by enforcing ambitious intermediate targets.

“I expect this law to set clear boundaries for member states, and to push the industry to accelerate action and take responsibility for their pollution. This Climate Law is a first step in fulfilling expectations, and calls by a vast majority of Europeans to take climate action now.

“As social democrats, we will keep pushing for ambition in the Parliament while guarding the Just Transition Principle. We know we have a challenging transition ahead of us, we need to make sure that everybody is on board.”