Illustration: © Lars-Erik Håkansson

EU needs net zero emissions by 2040

In order to stay within the limited carbon budget that is left, the EU will need to reduce its domestic greenhouse gas emissions by at least 3 per cent per year.

The recently published Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR1.5) of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)  gave both a stark warning, and reason for optimism. It showed that many dangerous impacts of climate change that were previously attributed to a global warming of 2°C will already occur when we pass the 1.5°C threshold. And it showed, as the problem of climate change is man-made, that we are therefore also able to take action and keep temperature rise below 1.5°C.

But this needs strong and sustained action soon. Because our world is warming and we are already experiencing impacts such as heat waves, droughts, forest fires, flooding, and failed crops, and need to prepare for more of these in the coming years. And while the damage in Europe is significant and devastating, we witness even more disastrous impacts in many vulnerable countries and communities around the world, even while they hardly contribute to the problem.

This all proves that our leaders were right when they agreed at the Paris Climate Summit, in December 2015, to pursue efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5°C. But unfortunately they did not link this collective commitment to an increase of the individual commitments that all governments brought to Paris. These Paris pledges, in the form of emission reduction targets for 2030, will not limit temperature rise to 1.5°C. At best, they will keep us just below 3°C. This would have a devastating impact.

The IPCC 1.5°C report assesses that under present day warming of around 1°C, the 2018 heatwave would happen every four to five years, while a warming of 1.5°C, would make heatwaves occur in 4 out of 10 summers, and a warming of 2°C would increase this even to 6 out of 10. The difference in terms of impacts between 1.5°C and the old target of 2°C is substantial. For example, an extra 0.5°C could see global sea levels rise 10cm more by 2100 affecting an additional 10 million people; would double the number of people expected to suffer from water shortages; and tropical heat waves would last up to a month longer.

The IPCC report also shows how we can limit temperature rise to 1.5°C. For this, all countries will need to substantially increase current inadequate levels of action. And the EU will need to take its fair share of the action, both in terms of reducing emissions at home, but also by providing financial and other support to poor and vulnerable countries, to enable them to act and help them to adapt to unavoidable impacts and recover from regrettable damages that are already happening.

To achieve the 1.5°C target the EU will need a very fast phase out of the use of fossil fuels, a steep reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a substantial increase in the capacity of our forests, wetlands and grasslands to remove carbon from the atmosphere, through sustainable ecosystem restoration. Research and innovation will play an important role in making the zero transition happening, but at the same time it needs to be clear that in order to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change, we need to adapt our lifestyles to sustainable levels of consumption, in particular in the fields of transport and food consumption. Furthermore, we need a drastic shift in financial flows from dirty fossil fuel subsidies to investments in clean alternatives, while also enabling a just transition providing maximum support to workers and vulnerable communities.

The above may seem a daunting task, but in fact the proposed solutions offer multiple benefits in terms of economic development, employment, health improvement and access to energy systems. In the energy sector for instance, the cost of renewable energy is comparable or even advantageous to the cost of traditional energy sources. Similarly investments in energy savings, storage, electrification all offer economic opportunities .

On top, taking action now will limit the economic cost that is linked to the impacts of climate change. In the EU alone, climate related economic losses amounted up to 11.6 billion euro in 2015, and the economic costs for the EU would run up to €120 billion per year under a 2°C scenario, and up to €200 billion per year under 3°C .

As a consequence of the near-linear relationship between cumulative carbon emissions and peak temperature, a carbon budget can be identified that sets the maximum total of cumulative emissions that can be allowed to achieve a certain temperature limit. The IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C indicates that in order to have a likely chance (66%) to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C, the world could emit no more than 420 Gigatonne of carbon in the period 2017 to 2100. This equals about 12 years of current emissions. It should be very clear that we have little time to act. For the EU, time is even shorter, as the EU has already consumed more than its fair share of the budget in the period before 2017, and hence should leave space in the global budget for poorer countries that should get more time for their zero carbon transition.

In order to stay within the limited budget that is left, the EU will need to radically phase out its emissions and similarly drastically increase its capacity to remove carbon from the atmosphere. In order to stay within its fair carbon budget, the EU will need to reduce its domestic greenhouse gas emissions by at least 3 per cent per year, reaching near zero emissions by 2040. This would include setting new greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for 2030 (-60%), 2035 (-80%) and 2040 (-95%).

In order to do so, a rapid shift to a 100% renewable energy system in the power, transport and buildings sectors would be needed. This will need increased political support for investments in renewable energy, energy demand reduction, energy storage, and electrification. Even more action and innovation would be needed to bring the industrial and agricultural sectors towards near zero emissions.

Next to rapid and deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the EU will need to support domestic ecosystem restoration in order to substantially increase the removal capacity of forests, grasslands, wetlands, agricultural lands and peatlands. We need clear rules that ensure we account for what the atmosphere sees in terms of emissions and removals from land use and forestry; and we need more and better sustainable forest and land management, that ensures an increase of the capacity of our natural capital to remove emissions at least beyond the current annual removal of 5% of 1990 emissions.

The combination of both efforts, a -95% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and a 5% removal through natural solutions, both compared to 1990 emission levels, would lead to the EU achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. This should be the benchmark for a fair contribution of the EU to the efforts to avoid dangerous climate change.

Wendel Trio
Director, Climate Action Network Europe

Illustration: © Lars-Erik Håkansson

EU needs net zero emissions by 2040

In order to stay within the limited carbon budget that is left, the EU will need to reduce its domestic greenhouse gas emissions by at least 3 per cent per year.

Climate demonstration in Cologne, Germany on 1 December 2018. Sign says "put your coal somwhere else". Photo: Flickr.com / Campact CC BY-NC

Editorial: Call for Europe to phase out coal by 2025

As a result of the latest extremely alarming scientific findings from the IPCC and WMO, all European countries need to stop using coal for energy production by 2025 and thus avoid large emissions of carbon dioxide.

Ship emissions debated

A ban on carrying high-sulphur fuel oil aboard ships not equipped with scrubbers has been finally adopted by the IMO, but there was no significant progress on agreeing measures to cut ships’ carbon emissions.

The IMO moves forward on bunkers. But fails to act on carbon emissions. Photo: © Shutterstock – MAGNIFIER
The proportion of pollutant depositions contributed by shipping has been steadily rising. Photo: Flickr.com / Andrew CC BY

What goes up must come down

Over the last decade the downward trend in emissions has flattened out – some countries are even reporting increasing emissions of ammonia and particulate matter.

The warming effect of long-lived greenhouse gases on our planet has increased by 41 per cent since 1990. Photo: © Shutterstock – Vadim Sadovski

Levels of long-lived greenhouse gases rose again in 2017

The level of CO2 today is similar to that 3–5 million years ago, when the temperature was 2–3°C warmer and the sea level was 10–20 metres higher than now.

Limiting global warming to 1.5°C is possible

Climate Action Network evaluates the IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C for the Talanoa Dialogue.

Governments need to significantly step up the level of ambition. Photo: © Shutterstock – KeepWatch
Photo: © Shutterstock – Zdenek Sasek

Harmful air pollution levels still much too high

Air pollution remains the largest environmental health risk in Europe. Despite slow improvements, it is still responsible for more than 400,000 premature deaths every year.

Photo: Flickr.com / X1KLIMA CC BY-ND

Phasing out coal in Europe

Elements for a plan to phase out coal by 2025 are presented.

Cut methane to reduce ozone

Global action to reduce methane emissions could by 2050 avoid 70,000 to 130,000 annual premature deaths due to ozone pollution globally, and 6,000 to 11,000 in the EU alone.

Stop dumping biodegradable waste in landfills is a cheap measure to reduce methane emissions. Photo: Flickr.com / Jeni F CC BY-NC
Photo: © Shutterstock – Sopotnicki

Citizens support diesel bans to tackle air pollution

Two-thirds of EU citizens support the introduction of low-emission zones banning polluting cars from city centres, according to a recent survey.

22 member states breached the air quality limits in 2016. Photo: © Shutterstock – Rob Hyrons

EU auditors urge tougher action on air quality

Air pollution rules are still too weak and most EU governments are failing to meet current air quality requirements, says a damning report by EU auditors.

Climate targets for trucks and cars in the making

The European Parliament is pushing for more ambitious CO2 standards for cars and lorries by 2030. Though even more cuts are needed to decarbonise the vehicle fleet by 2050.

The Parliament wants to benchmark sales of zero- and low-emission vehicles with a 5 per cent sales target by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030. Photo: Flickr.com / Fiat 500e California CC BY-SA
Photo: © Shutterstock – Shchipkova Elena

Livestock sector must contract

Numbers of farm animals in the European Union are not within a “safe operating space” for the climate and nitrogen, states a new report from the RISE foundation.

Meat and dairy account for more than 75 per cent of the climate impact from EU diets. Photo: Flickr.com / Shane Lin CC BY-NC

European lunches leave carbon footprints overseas

Around 30 per cent of greenhouse gases from EU food consumption are emitted in other regions, mainly Latin America, Asia and Africa.

1.5°C is the new 2°C

In the wake of the IPCC publishing their 1.5°C report the global press calls for quick action.

Climate demonstration in Melbourne, Australia 8 December 2018. Photo: Flickr.com / Takver CC BY-SA
Photo: Flickr.com / Luca Sartoni CC BY-SA

A 1.5°C target is needed to save the Mediterranean region

Climate change is a threat to the Mediterranean sea and surrounding countries. This is featured in a recent short documentary produced by AirClim and SEE.NET.

France has presented an impact assessment for an ECA in the Mediterranean Sea. Photo: Flickr.com / Simon Roberts CC BY-SA-ND

Benefits of a Mediterranean emission control area

At an IMO meeting in London in October, France presented its impact assessment of a possible emission control area (ECA) in the Mediterranean Sea.

Photo: Flickr.com / Trialsanderrors CC BY-SA-ND

Decarbonising European shipping

Powering ships with batteries, hydrogen or ammonia will decarbonise the European fleet and require only half the amount of renewable electricity that less efficient solutions like synthetic methane or synthetic diesel will need ...

Monkfish is one of the species with the highest levels of mercury. Photo: Flickr.com / Biodiversity Heritage Library CC BY

Mercury pollution still a big problem

Historical and current emissions of mercury continue to present a significant risk to the environment and human health, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Two thirds of the so-called capacity mechanism was estimated to support coal power. Photo: © Shutterstock – Voyagerix

Hidden subsidies for coal, gas and nuclear

New research by Greenpeace reveals that €58 billion goes to supporting coal, gas and nuclear in the form of so-called capacity mechanisms – a controversial type of subsidy ...

German coal plants can cut much more NOx

Germany’s fleet of hard coal-fired power plants could cut emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) in half tomorrow, if they used already-fitted pollution reduction equipment at full capacity.

Around 4 million people in Asia-Pacific die prematurely each year from air pollution related diseases. Photo: Flickr.com / Gauthier Delecroix 郭天 CC BY

Solving the Asian air pollution crisis

A new report by UN Environment identifies and proposes 25 clean air measures that can positively impact human health, crop yields, climate change and socio-economic development ...

In India, best-in-class solar and wind plants are now half the cost of new coal plants. Photo: Flickr.com / Ashwin Kumar CC BY-SA

Renewable energy now cheapest energy source

“Solar and/or wind are now the cheapest new source of generation in all major economies except Japan, ” according to a new Bloomberg study reported by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis ...

Photo: Flickr.com / Tor Lindstrand CC BY-SA

More than 90% of the world’s children breathe toxic air every day

Every day around 93 per cent (1.8 billion) of the world’s children under the age of 15 years breathe air that is so polluted it puts their health and development at serious risk. For the year 2016, the WHO ...

“The Paris Agreement is potentially the strongest health agreement of this century,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. Photo: Flickr.com / DFID UK Department for International development CC BY-SA

Fighting climate change and fossil fuels improves global health

Tackling climate change would save at least a million lives a year, says the World Health Organization. Reducing the burning of fossil fuels is ...

Poster for the campaign. T-shirt says “never bean so happy”.

Dutch men encouraged to eat less meat

The Netherlands Nutrition Center, a government-funded agency, has launched a campaign to encourage men to reduce their meat consumption.

Stop wasting precious public money on gas infrastructure and tax breaks for fossil gas, says T&E. Photo: Flickr.com / Juan Carlos Martins CC BY-ND

Natural gas is as bad for the climate as diesel, petrol and marine fuel

Using natural (fossil) gas for transport is as bad for the climate as using petrol, diesel or conventional marine fuels, according to a new study by Transport & Environment (T&E).

Photo: Flickr.com / Steve Evans cc by-NC

A 1.5°C world increases chances for coral reefs

Tropical coral reefs face high risks of becoming unsustainable if warming exceeds 1.5°C.

In brief

Electric ferries between Sweden and Denmark

In November, Swedish ferry operator HH Ferries Group officially inaugurated the Tycho Brahe and the Aurora (built in 1991 and 1992 respectively) as the world’s largest battery-powered passenger ferries on the high-frequency route between Helsingborg and Helsingör.

In each port, automatic land-based charging stations enable efficient charging of each vessel’s 640 batteries within a few minutes. The batteries are located in containers on top of the ferries along with two deckhouses for transformers, converters and cooling systems. The battery power of each ferry is 4,160 kWh. Although planned to run full time on battery power, the two vessels’ quartets of diesel engines are retained on board as back-up to the battery systems.

Source: Shipinsight, 12 November 2018

Heavily polluting Romanian power plant challenged

Greenpeace Romania, with the support of ClientEarth, has submitted a legal challenge against a lifetime permit granted in September to one of Romania’s oldest and largest coal power plants, Rovinari. The organisations seek to annul the plant’s permit, as it does not comply with EU pollution laws and fails to consider the impact on the health of people and the planet.

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) should have been carried out, or at least considered, before extending Rovinari’s permit, and failure to consider an EIA disregards both EU and Romanian law. ClientEarth lawyer Dominique Doyle said: “Rovinari is one of the biggest CO2 polluters in the EU and one of the deadliest in terms of air pollution but amazingly it has been granted fresh permission to pollute indefinitely without having to assess any of these risks.”

The authority has approximately one month to respond to Greenpeace Romania’s administrative challenge. If no changes are made to the permit to rectify the breaches in the law, the campaigners will challenge the permit through the courts.

Source: ClientEarth press release, 31 October 2018. Link: https://www.clientearth.org/legal-challenge-targets-romanian-giant-pollu...

EU rules needed to stop truck NOx fraud

The Danish government has called on the European Commission to develop new rules for member states after its testing revealed that lorries equipped with widely available cheating devices have up to 45 times higher NOx emissions than those with a properly functioning cleaning system. Cheating typically occurs when electronic emulator devices are used to disconnect the engine emission reduction system.

James Nix at Transport & Environment said that far more roadside inspections were needed. Data suggests that more than one third of trucks are cheating, often by adding devices to trick the engine control system that NOx abatement fluid has been added, and a stronger EU response is definitely needed, said Nix, adding that trucks now account for more than 50 per cent of NOx in some cities, including London, Berlin and Stockholm.

Source: Ends Europe Daily, 14 November 2018.

EU auditors critical of CAP proposal

The proposed reform of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2020 falls short of the EU’s ambitions for a greener and more robust performance-based approach, according to an Opinion published by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) in November.

On climate tracking, the ECA doubts the Commission’s methodology for establishing that 40 per cent of the CAP budget would go to climate action. The estimates of the CAP’s contribution to EU climate change objectives appears unrealistic, they conclude.

Opinion No 7/2018: concerning Commission proposals for regulations relating to the Common Agricultural Policy for the post-2020 period
https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/Pages/DocItem.aspx?did=47751