European Union countries approve climate measures after long talks

The 27 EU members found a common agreement on draft legislation aimed at slashing EU greenhouse gases by at least 55% in 2030 compared with 1990 rather than by a previously agreed 40%

European Union
Photo: Reuters
AP Brussels
2 min read Last Updated : Jun 29 2022 | 12:57 PM IST

European Union countries reached a deal backing stricter climate rules that would eliminate carbon emissions from new cars by 2035 following hard-fought talks that dragged into the early hours of Wednesday.

The 27 EU members found a common agreement on draft legislation aimed at slashing EU greenhouse gases by at least 55% in 2030 compared with 1990 rather than by a previously agreed 40%.

A long but good day for climate action: The Council's decisions on Fitfor55 are a big step towards delivering the EU Green Deal," said Frans Timmermans, the European Commission Vice-President in charge of the Green Deal, after the meeting of environment ministers in Luxembourg.

The deal on the five laws proposed by the EU's executive arm last year paves the way for the final negotiations with the European Parliament. EU lawmakers are backing ambitious bloc-wide targets and final approval of the legislative package will now require the Parliament to iron out differences with the bloc's national governments over various details.

The Council is now ready to negotiate with the European Parliament on concluding the package, thereby placing the European Union more than ever in the vanguard of fighting climate change," said Agnes Pannier-Runacher, the French Minister for the energy transition.

The decision to introduce a 100% CO2 emissions reduction target by 2035 for new cars and vans will effectively prohibit the sale in the 27-nation bloc of new cars powered by gasoline or diesel.

The EU wants to drastically reduce gas emission from transport by 2050 and promote electric cars, but a report from the bloc's external auditor showed last year that the bloc is lacking the appropriate charging stations. Transport accounts for about 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the EU.

In addition to the landmark agreement on cars, the package also features a reform of the EU's carbon market and the creation of a social climate fund to help vulnerable households cope with the planned clean-energy revamp. That particular issue has become more politically sensitive as Russia's war in Ukraine has sent fuel prices soaring.

The overall goal is to put the EU on track to become climate-neutral in 2050 and to prod other major polluters, including the United States and China, to follow suit.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Quarterly Starter

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

Save 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :Climate ChangeEuropean UnionGlobal Warming

First Published: Jun 29 2022 | 12:57 PM IST

Next Story