In the joint declaration "For a climate ambition of the European Union at the height of the Paris agreement" adopted on Wednesday, the European ministers responsible for the fight against climate change of France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Portugal and Luxembourg have called for an ambitious long-term strategy in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
In the face of an alarming scientific report and awaiting the IPCC report on achieving the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, the ministers declared that it was necessary to act in order to respect the Paris Agreement to which all States have committed themselves.
Europe must maintain its leadership - the European Commission must present a long-term strategyThey called for the European Union to maintain its leadership in the fight against climate change and demonstrate its ability to mobilize. The European Council of 22 March 2018 called on the European Commission to propose a long-term strategy for the European Union by the end of the first quarter of 2019. The European Commission has reiterated its commitment to produce such a strategy in the best possible deadlines.
Ministers called for this strategy to examine the possibilities for enhancing the European Union's ambition and presents different paths for reaching carbon neutrality in the long term and including intermediate steps. They testified today to the commitment of each of their countries to develop a long-term strategy covering all sectors of activity. Ministers also stressed that this transition to a low-carbon economy should enable the achievement of the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through a just and inclusive transition, for the European Union and in partnership with the rest of the world.
