Seven European countries step up the fight against climate change by calling for higher ambition by EU countries

Seven European countries heeded the calls of scientists and vulnerable communities and formed a coalition for climate ambition. France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Portugal and Luxembourg called on the European Union and other countries to enhance their climate ambition to keep warming below 1.5C, the main goal of the Paris Agreement.

The seven countries renewed their own commitments and called for higher levels of ambition to curb emissions in line with the Paris Agreement and protect the planet from devastating climate change.

In a press release following a meeting on the “2050 Pathways Platform”, the French Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, Nicolas Hulot, and his Secretary of State, Brune Poirson said:

“Confronted by alarming scientific analysis on climate change, to which the upcoming IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C will further contribute, enhanced action by all countries is urgent and necessary for respecting the Paris Agreement long-term goals. The European Union must keep its climate leadership and show its ability to mobilise all Parties to the Agreement in the fight against climate change.”

Members of the Climate Action Network welcome the move and urge all countries to step up, join the coalition, enhance their own climate plans to curb emissions to net-zero by 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement, and take the necessary intermediary steps to reach this goal. The next step should thus be to enhance the EU’s NDC latest by 2020.

Wendel Trio, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe said:

“More and more European countries agree that the EU needs to do more to tackle the climate crisis and fully implement the Paris Agreement. The critical conversation on how to increase the EU’s climate commitments is finally moving forward. We urge all other European countries to join this coalition, make the Paris Agreement a reality and align EU policies with the ambition to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C. The draft long-term climate strategy to be published within a year is the ideal opportunity to go well beyond the current commitments.”

Imke Lübbeke, Head of Climate and Energy at WWF European Policy Office, said:

“EU countries are waking up to what the Paris Agreement means. Seven of them have now realised that the EU’s climate targets are nowhere near what’s required - the others need to get on board. The EU must aim for net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest to act on our climate crisis and lead the way to an energy-efficiency and renewables-based future.”

Sven Harmeling, Global Policy Lead on Climate Change and Resilience at CARE International, said:

"The declaration of the 7 EU countries basically recognises that the current EU ambition for cutting greenhouse gas emissions is not in line with the goal of the Paris Agreement to pursue efforts to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Making the EU's plans and investments compatible with this limit would contribute to reducing serious damage for poor countries, and the EU itself, from climate change impacts. But countries must complement the development of a more ambitious 2050 strategy with additional actions to shift away from fossil fuels now."

Wael Hmaidan, Executive Director, Climate Action Network said:

“The move by seven European countries to call on the EU to enhance its ambition to keep warming below 1.5C is a great one. It is a recognition that we urgently need to do more. At this year’s COP, all countries must recognize that we are not yet on track and commit to significantly enhance their climate plans by 2020.”