On February 6, 2024, the European Commission presented recommendations regarding the climate target for 2040. It seems that farmers’ protests strongly influenced the EC’s decisions in the final stretch before announcing the climate target.
- By 2040, greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced by 90%. compared to 1990.
- The EC withdrew from setting a strict reduction target in the agricultural sector.
- In the discussion about the climate goal in the European Parliament, MEPs often referred to farmers’ protests.
What is the EU’s climate goal for 2040?
On Tuesday, February 6, 2024, on behalf of the European Commission, Wopke Hoekstra, Commissioner for Climate Action, successor to Frans Timmermans, announced the European Union’s 2040 climate target.
As you know, the main goal of the EU is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and by 2030, greenhouse gas emissions in the EU are to be reduced by 55%. compared to 1990 levels.
The next intermediate goal on the road to zero emission in the EU concerns 2040. According to the EC’s recommendations, greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced by 90% by 2040. compared to 1990. This decision is in line with previous announcements.
– We are taking the next step in our journey towards climate neutrality. Based on impact assessment and scientific research, we recommend that by 2040 lower emissions. Europe must stand on two legs. One foot is pro-climate action and the other is a strong and resilient economy. We must fight the climate crisis. The year 2040 seems far away, but this fight is a marathon, not a sprint, said Commissioner Hoekstra.
Climate goals for agriculture have been withdrawn
As the media reported at the end of January, leaks from the earlier draft of the EC communication regarding the 2040 climate goal assumed greater involvement of agriculture in achieving this goal.
One of the most important provisions in the previous version of the communiqué was the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by 30%. compared to 2015.
The official and final version of the EC’s announcement presented on February 6 no longer includes this provision. No exact reduction target for agriculture for 2040 has been formulated, although the document emphasizes the important role of this economic sector in meeting European climate ambitions with a simultaneous emphasis on ensuring EU food security. The Communication pays particular attention to the importance of carbon farming and precision agriculture.
The climate goals for agriculture in the final version of the document are treated quite superficially and only vaguely mention the need to reduce emissions and capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In his statement, Commissioner Hoekstra himself pointed out that the EC’s recommendations regarding the climate goal are the beginning of dialogue throughout European society.
The EC recommendations announced today open the political debate on the climate goal for 2040. However, the final steps will depend on the new EU authorities, who will be elected in mid-year.
Agriculture is the main topic of discussion in the European Parliament
After the Commissioner for Climate Action presented the communication, MEPs spoke about the 2040 climate target. The division of the European Parliament into two camps was noticeable – those supporting the EU’s ambitious climate goals and those opposing them. The latter group, in particular, referred to the farmers’ protests that have been going on in Europe for weeks.
Opponents of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by 90%. by 2040, they emphasized that this was an unrealistic goal, impossible to achieve, deteriorating the competitiveness of the EU economy on the international arena and harming the existence of the so-called ordinary citizens, including farmers. German MP Peter Liese said that we cannot put farmers against the wall of climate goals, but treat them as partners, because thanks to them we have less CO2 in the atmosphere. Tiemo Wolken added that agriculture cannot be treated in the same way as industry is treated.
European Parliamentarians from Poland also expressed negative opinions about the EC’s idea. MEP Anna Zalewska said that with this announcement, the European Commission confirmed that it speaks a different language than Europeans. MEP Grzegorz Tobiszowski said that caring for the climate is necessary, but “not at the expense of pushing citizens into poverty.” MP Jadwiga Wiśniewska asked the audience: “Can’t you hear the screams of farmers, don’t you feel the slurry being poured? Farmers say ‘enough’, but do they find understanding in this House?”
The second group of MEPs called the ambitious climate target proposed by the EC necessary for the health of citizens and the environment. MEPs referred to the increasingly frequent disasters in Europe, unpredictability of weather, droughts and floods, and the need to counteract them. Attention was drawn to the need to move away from fossil fuels, also as a way to break the dependence of the EU and Russia. Everyone agreed that it’s not enough to just set goals – you also have to achieve them. Environmental activist and MEP from the Netherlands, Anja Hazekamp, accused Commissioner Hoekstra of having “no backbone” in his actions towards agriculture. She concluded that the EC unnecessarily bowed to the pressure of farmers’ protests, and Europe needed regulations to reduce meat consumption and withdraw fuel subsidies. MP Bas Eickhout stated that reducing emissions by 90%. by 2040 is too little.
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