This Thursday, on the occasion of World Earth Day, US President Biden will host an international summit on climate, where leaders will discuss their plans and commitment to climate action for the next decade. The summit follows in the wake of EU Climate Law negotiations held throughout last night and into the morning, in which a provisional agreement was reached between negotiators to enshrine EU emissions reductions and climate neutrality targets into law.

In the context of the European Green Deal, the EU has agreed to make its emission targets for 2030 more ambitious, committing to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% compared to 1990 levels, as well as to achieve a carbon neutral European continent by 2050. In addition to these targets, parties pledged to form a European Scientific Advisory Board to track the EU’s climate course and better facilitate accurate climate goals and to help inform 2040 climate goals. 

The coming months will be decisive for EU climate action, as the European Commission is preparing a package of green laws to be launched this June, ahead of the COP26 UN climate summit in Glasgow. The EU, however, will now enter the international summit as one of the first blocs to put its climate commitments into law, an important step in the fight against climate change. 

Key Texts

European Green Deal

European Climate Law Proposal

Upcoming Dates

22 – 23 April 2021: Leaders Summit on Climate

31 May – 4 June 2021: European Green Week

23-24 June 2021: European Climate Change Adaptation Conference 2021

The European Movement International position

As laid out in our policy position on “Moving towards a Sustainable Europe”,  Europe needs to become a frontrunner and global leader of climate action, streamlining its international commitments to tackle climate change across all policies and its international partnerships. For this, EU leaders and institutions need to be prepared to collaborate and make concessions in order to deliver comprehensive policies to tackle climate change. Delivering European Climate Laws and agreeing to European emission reduction ahead of the US Leaders Summit on Climate, will reflect the EU’s strong position in this matter as a global leader in the fight for climate change.