Climate crisis Climate Advisory Council warns: 27 must increase their commitments and eliminate fossil subsidies – El Salto

Greater efforts are needed across all sectors to achieve the EU’s climate targets from 2030 to 2050. This is the main finding that the European Union Climate Advisory Council (ESABCC), an independent body linked to Brussels that provides climate advice to the 27, made public in January. 18.

The Council recommends, “in line with the objective of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius without exceeding that temperature or only in a limited and temporary manner”, a “significant acceleration” of the current pace of emissions reductions. Specifically, the committee composed of 15 scientists says the EU must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 90% to 95% by 2040 compared to 1990 figures.

Agriculture is also not reducing its emissions due to a lack of financial incentives for farmers, the report concluded.

ESABCC, whose work focuses on evaluating EU climate policies and challenges, has published its findings in the report Towards climate neutrality of the EU: progress, policy gaps and opportunities With just a few weeks left until the EU publishes its climate objectives for 2040, something is expected to happen on 6 February.

governments fail

Although the Advisory Board recognizes the potential of the Fit for 55 package to accelerate the EU’s decarbonization, it warns that additional measures are necessary if the EU is to achieve its climate neutrality target by 2050. In fact, the success of this legislative package depends largely on the national emissions reduction plans of each of the 27 governments.

Although the EU has committed to reducing its emissions by 55% by 2030, many countries propose a lower objective, pointing to the fact that these reductions must be achieved collectively, not individually. In all countries. This is the case of Spain, where the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan 2023-30 only includes a reduction of 23%, with an updated proposal currently in public consultation that aims to increase that figure to 32%.

Presenting “clear plans and timelines” to immediately and completely end fossil fuel subsidies is one of the issues the group of scientists will give “highest priority”.

According to Laura Diaz, Professor and Vice-President of the ESABCC, “Member States should urgently implement the comprehensive set of legislation recently agreed at the EU level, ensuring that they promote a prosperous and inclusive net zero economy. Create incentives.” Council recommendations include the implementation of reforms of current EU policies for the period after 2030, including the common framework that should ensure compliance with commitments by Member States, as well as adjustments to the main emissions trading systems .

gray subsidy

Although the Group of Experts talks about the need for greater efforts in all sectors, it focuses on four sectors in particular: buildings, transport, agriculture and forestry. Presenting “clear plans and timelines” to immediately and completely end fossil fuel subsidies, which they describe as “harmful”, is one of the issues the group of scientists will give “highest priority”. This aid, which ranges from subsidies on kerosene for aviation to gasoline and diesel for professionals, remains stable at around 50 billion euros per year, even with some specific increases. This is something that, for the advisory committee, “weakens the incentives to reduce fossil energy use and reduces the public budget available to support climate action.”

Agriculture is also not reducing its emissions due to a lack of financial incentives for farmers, the report concluded. Furthermore, while European forests “are absorbing less and less carbon as they age and face the worsening effects of climate change,” current incentives for biomass risk putting more pressure on these forests. Because the climate costs of wood extraction are not adequately reflected. It’s price.

For this reason, the ESABCC recommends “better aligning the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy with EU climate ambitions”, by replacing support from emissions-intensive agricultural practices such as livestock production with low-emission products and activities. Involves turning to the side. They also propose some form of emissions pricing in the agriculture and land use sectors “by 2031 at the latest”.

According to Jette Bredahl, vice president of the organization, “Farmers and land managers need to be more strongly encouraged to reduce emissions and increase removals. This can be achieved by pricing emissions and rewarding acquisitions in these sectors.

The report emphasizes that EU policies should be consistent with the need to phase out fossil fuels, condemning that these “are not fully aligned with such a phase-out and are detrimental to the EU’s energy There is a risk of blocking the infrastructure.” In high-emission fossil fuels.”