Tuesday 10 July 2018

Europe’s mayors pen climate letter to EU calling for increased action

Mayors of major European cities have joined together to write an open letter to the EU, calling for increased action to tackle climate change.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris and Ada Colau, the Mayor of Barcelona, were among those who sent the document to European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič and Commissioner for Climate and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete.

The letter urges EU leaders to set the 1.5°C and net-zero emissions goals of the Paris Agreement as objectives of its 2050 strategy.

It claims this year and the next are critical to limiting the global temperature rise and says greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2020 and decrease until reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.

It adds to achieve this, all countries must prepare more ambitious nationally determined contributions, put in place appropriate long-term strategies and work together with the EU to create mutually supportive policies.

The letter reads: "With its decision to develop a long-term strategy, the EU is sending the right political message but it needs to adopt the 1.5°C and net-zero emission objectives of the Paris Agreement and couple the strategy with consistent and Paris-compatible economic and energy policies, a coherent post-2020 EU budget for climate action, including measures to phase out fossil fuel, as well as an enhanced 2030 emissions reduction target."