EU faces legal challenge over 'grossly inadequate' climate goals

EU faces legal challenge over 'grossly inadequate' climate goals
by AFP Staff Writers
Brussels, Belgium (AFP) Aug 27, 2024

Green activists on Tuesday said they were taking the European Union to court over "insufficient" climate targets, accusing Brussels of violating a key global agreement.

CAN Europe and Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) said in legal written arguments to a top EU court that the 27-country bloc's targets for emissions from agriculture, waste, small industry and transport were "grossly inadequate".

"The EU's overall climate ambition remains alarmingly off-track from the 1.5-degree Celsius limit of the 2015 Paris climate accords," the groups said in a statement.

The agreement set the ambitious target of limiting the world to a temperature increase of 1.5C over pre-industrial levels.

The EU faces a delicate balancing act. It strives to lower carbon emissions but at the same time faces fury from farmers who say EU targets are making their jobs much harder.

There have been rolling protests by farmers in Brussels and around Europe against the bloc's aims but environmental defenders are simultaneously calling for more ambitious targets.

The two climate groups made the criticism as part of a fast-tracked lawsuit filed earlier this year with a top EU court.

A hearing at the Luxembourg-based General Court of the European Union is expected next year, with a possible ruling in 2026, they said.

They are using a legal decision by the separate European Court of Human Rights -- part of the 46-member Council of Europe -- from April against Switzerland, which the court said was not doing enough to tackle climate change.

CAN Europe and GLAN said the EU's 2030 target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent based on 1990 levels is insufficient.

"The EU has to ramp up emissions reduction and achieve at least a 65 percent cut by 2030 if it wants to be a credible actor," said Sven Harmeling, climate head at CAN Europe.

The groups also said in their complaint that they want the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, to lower the emissions allowed for different sectors, including agriculture and transport.

The commission wanted all 27 countries to submit their plans to achieve the 55 percent cut in emissions last year before finalising them in June 2024.

But by December 2023, it only received 21 countries' plans, which had serious shortcomings and by the final deadline this summer, the commission received plans from only four countries: Denmark, Finland, Sweden and The Netherlands.