ast week leaders representing 40 countries from around the world convened for the Biden Climate Summit. This convening showcased Europe’s many achievements on climate while raising pressure on all countries to do more. At the summit, President Biden announced that the United States will target a 50-52 percent reduction from 2005 levels in economy-wide net greenhouse gas pollution in 2030.
While this 50 percent target will double America’s previous commitment and will help limit temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, it is far less than the 68 percent reduction promised by the United Kingdom and the 55 percent reduction pledged by the European Union.
Europe has reason to feel good about its strong commitment to stopping climate change, but the crisis is growing rapidly, so we must also redouble our efforts in new ways. One of the most significant ways Europe can make an exponential difference is by investing time and money to help poorer countries, inside and outside of the EU, to join the effort. In an interview from an Abu Dhabi regional climate dialogue earlier this month, US Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry told CNBC that the US, China and Europe – which jointly account for about half of global emissions – must work together with less equipped countries to ensure emissions reductions are as sweeping and high impact as possible. John Kerry described the challenge as a “huge economic opportunity.”
But how to unlock that economic opportunity? Despite Europe’s ahead of the pack emission reduction goal, deep divisions within the continent could pose a challenge as Europe seeks to accelerate its efforts to reduce emissions and become carbon neutral. According to a Carnegie Europe report, despite the European Green Deal, a major program for a transition to a low-carbon economy, Europe’s climate efforts have “suffered from significant deficits.” Carnegie reports that many member states still depend heavily on coal and that “insufficient mechanisms for monitoring and compliance” have led to an inconsistent implementation of European Green Deal policies.
Divisions between Europe’s East and West as well as North and South are pronounced. The EU’s traditional problem-solving mechanisms may not work so well on climate action. Carnegie Europe argues that the EU must use its trade, aid, and investment policies more effectively to arrive at climate neutrality. The challenges Europe will face moving forward were evident in late 2019 when European Union leaders committed the bloc to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 at a European Council summit but could only do so without Poland.
The recently concluded Regional Climate Dialogue in which the UAE convened regional partners to press more aggressive action on climate could be a model for Europe. Many of the national governments joining the UAE for this dialogue have historically done far less to stop climate change than the UAE, but Abu Dhabi has made it a priority to galvanize other Middle East and North African countries to invest in climate action on a regional scale. Speaking to CNN about the Regional Climate Dialogue held in Abu Dhabi, John Kerry said he was most impressed by “the unity of these countries” in recognizing “how they are being affected by climate.”
Europe has a strong foundation on which to build a unified climate action agenda. In 2015, UN members adopted the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through which all countries of the world pledged to eradicate poverty, find sustainable and inclusive development solutions, and make sure no country is left behind by 2030. Europe pledged to help poorer countries strengthen their resilience and adaptation to climate change, with extra attention to the least developed countries.
The world is hurtling toward a point of no return on climate change and it is only when we enable all countries to do their part that we will reach success. Europe remains a global leader on climate action, but to rise to ever higher points, there is a need for increased diplomacy, dialogue and joint efforts by Governments and the private sector.
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Europe Can Do More to Fight Climate Change
Photo by Pixabay.
May 2, 2021
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ast week leaders representing 40 countries from around the world convened for the Biden Climate Summit. This convening showcased Europe’s many achievements on climate while raising pressure on all countries to do more. At the summit, President Biden announced that the United States will target a 50-52 percent reduction from 2005 levels in economy-wide net greenhouse gas pollution in 2030.
While this 50 percent target will double America’s previous commitment and will help limit temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, it is far less than the 68 percent reduction promised by the United Kingdom and the 55 percent reduction pledged by the European Union.
Europe has reason to feel good about its strong commitment to stopping climate change, but the crisis is growing rapidly, so we must also redouble our efforts in new ways. One of the most significant ways Europe can make an exponential difference is by investing time and money to help poorer countries, inside and outside of the EU, to join the effort. In an interview from an Abu Dhabi regional climate dialogue earlier this month, US Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry told CNBC that the US, China and Europe – which jointly account for about half of global emissions – must work together with less equipped countries to ensure emissions reductions are as sweeping and high impact as possible. John Kerry described the challenge as a “huge economic opportunity.”
But how to unlock that economic opportunity? Despite Europe’s ahead of the pack emission reduction goal, deep divisions within the continent could pose a challenge as Europe seeks to accelerate its efforts to reduce emissions and become carbon neutral. According to a Carnegie Europe report, despite the European Green Deal, a major program for a transition to a low-carbon economy, Europe’s climate efforts have “suffered from significant deficits.” Carnegie reports that many member states still depend heavily on coal and that “insufficient mechanisms for monitoring and compliance” have led to an inconsistent implementation of European Green Deal policies.
Divisions between Europe’s East and West as well as North and South are pronounced. The EU’s traditional problem-solving mechanisms may not work so well on climate action. Carnegie Europe argues that the EU must use its trade, aid, and investment policies more effectively to arrive at climate neutrality. The challenges Europe will face moving forward were evident in late 2019 when European Union leaders committed the bloc to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 at a European Council summit but could only do so without Poland.
The recently concluded Regional Climate Dialogue in which the UAE convened regional partners to press more aggressive action on climate could be a model for Europe. Many of the national governments joining the UAE for this dialogue have historically done far less to stop climate change than the UAE, but Abu Dhabi has made it a priority to galvanize other Middle East and North African countries to invest in climate action on a regional scale. Speaking to CNN about the Regional Climate Dialogue held in Abu Dhabi, John Kerry said he was most impressed by “the unity of these countries” in recognizing “how they are being affected by climate.”
Europe has a strong foundation on which to build a unified climate action agenda. In 2015, UN members adopted the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through which all countries of the world pledged to eradicate poverty, find sustainable and inclusive development solutions, and make sure no country is left behind by 2030. Europe pledged to help poorer countries strengthen their resilience and adaptation to climate change, with extra attention to the least developed countries.
The world is hurtling toward a point of no return on climate change and it is only when we enable all countries to do their part that we will reach success. Europe remains a global leader on climate action, but to rise to ever higher points, there is a need for increased diplomacy, dialogue and joint efforts by Governments and the private sector.
