While the EU may repeat that it is the world's most ambitious continent in the fight against climate change, the body will arrive at COP28, to be held in Dubai from November 30 to December 12, with a limited negotiating mandate on behalf of the 27 member states. Since the mandate required unanimity among member states, the European environment ministers, meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, October 16, had to take into account the reservations of the less enthusiastic.
Unsurprisingly, Hungary and Poland in particular, whose economies remain highly carbon-intensive, once again put the brakes on the EU's aspirations. Giorgia Meloni's Italy also urged its partners not to over-commit. "Could we have gone further? Absolutely," commented Wopke Hoekstra, the new climate commissioner, before re-emphasizing that the exercise consists of getting 27 countries to agree to one policy.
While Europeans have already adopted a series of legislative measures – from the ban on combustion engine cars in 2035 to the introduction of a carbon tax at borders – which should enable them to reduce their CO2 emissions by 57% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, they have not made this figure a new target. Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said at the Council of Ministers that "57% would be an excellent announcement at COP, clearly demonstrating that Europe is a leader" on climate.
The EU-27 reiterated the target of at least a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions enshrined in their climate legislation. A "few" governments, including Warsaw, Budapest, Sofia, Zagreb and Rome, "did not want to create confusion" and give the impression that they were setting "a new target," explained Spanish minister Teresa Ribera, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council.
The EU-27 did not ask the Commission to defend the unconditional phase-out of fossil fuels in Dubai either. In fact, they decided to treat fossil fuels that are backed by carbon capture and storage systems differently from those that are not, arguing that only the latter should be eliminated. Without giving a specific date, the Europeans are talking about "a peak in consumption during the current decade."
This part of the mandate was the subject of complex negotiations that saw two opposing blocs. A dozen countries, including France, Germany and the Netherlands, pushed like the NGOs for an unconditional phase-out of all fossil fuels. "If you listen to the scientists, it's pretty clear that we need to phase out all fossil fuels," argued Dutch Climate M nister Rob Jetten, urging the EU to be "the most ambitious bloc" on the issue at COP28.
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