EU countries want emissons target to remain linked to wealth

European Union countries will ask the European Commission to keep national emissions targets linked to their levels of wealth as it crafts plans to overhaul EU climate policies, according to a draft document.

The 27 EU government leaders will hold a summit on May 24-25 to discuss how they plan to meet the EU’s new 2030 climate goal – a cut in net emissions of at least 55% from 1990 levels.

The summit will give a steer to the European Commission, which in July will propose a huge package of climate policies to deliver the target, including carbon market reforms and more ambitious renewable energy objectives.

A draft of the climate conclusions for the summit, seen by Reuters, would see EU leaders call for the bloc to keep its current system of setting binding national targets to cut emissions in some sectors based on countries’ GDP per capita.

“The European Council reaffirms the need to maintain national targets under the Effort Sharing Regulation and to preserve its broad scope to stimulate effective measures at national level,” the document said, referring to the meeting of EU leaders, known as the European Council.

via Reuters