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MEPs back bigger EU emissions cut

The European Parliament has voted in favour of a more ambitious target for reducing the EU’s carbon emissions by 2030.

MEPs voted by 392 votes to 161 in favour of the parliament’s negotiating mandate on the EU climate law proposed by the European Commission, according to results released today (8 October).

Independent body

The EU’s current emissions target for 2030 is a 40% cut compared with 1990. The European Commission recently proposed to increase this target to “at least 55%” in an amended proposal for the EU climate law, but MEPs have now backed a 60% reduction.

MEPs also want to set up an EU Climate Change Council (ECCC) as an independent scientific body to assess whether policy is consistent and to monitor progress.

The parliament’s plan also calls for the EU and member states to phase out all direct and indirect fossil fuel subsidies by 31 December 2025 at the latest.

Negotiations

The commission’s climate law plans aim to transform political promises that the EU will become climate neutral by 2050 into a binding obligation.

The parliament will now negotiate with member states once EU leaders have agreed a common position on the commission’s proposals.

The vote result comes a day after the Irish Government published the draft text of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020, which aims to make the country climate neutral by 2050.