The report assesses pathways for the EU to achieve greenhouse gas emissions reductions of between 80% and net-zero emissions by 2050, compared to the 1990 level.
Sergei Stanishev, President of the Party of European Socialists, said:
“There is only one viable option in today’s Commission proposal for a long-term climate vision, it is the option to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. I am happy that the Commission took on board this option, which the PES has repeatedly called for. It is good to see that under the leadership of Commission Vice-President for the Energy Union, Maros Sefcovic, the Commission document stresses the need to also address the social impacts of climate action.
“During our PES Congress next week in Lisbon we will once again make clear that we stand for increased and ambitious EU climate action. We want to increase the 2030 EU climate and energy targets and we want the EU to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The clean energy transition needs to be accompanied by a social agenda – it must be a just transition, where workers, industries and communities are supported to adapt to change.”
The Commission paper will now be discussed in the European institutions and citizens’ dialogues all over Europe. These deliberations will lead to the adoption and submittal of an EU 2050 climate and energy strategy by early 2020 to the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change, as requested under the Paris Agreement on climate change.
