EU commission to unveil law enshrining 2050 carbon neutrality

The European Commisson’s top environment official Frans Timmermans will on Wednesday unveil draft legislation enshrining the EU goal of reaching net carbon emissions neutrality by 2050.

The climate law is a central tenet of the EU executive’s plan to overhaul the European Union’s economy, known as the European Green Deal. The aim is to massively reduce the bloc’s carbon-intensive activities and therefore its contribution to global warming.

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As well as cutting emissions, the commission proposes to offset or capture emissions to reach the target.

But critics argue the 2050 goal isn’t ambitious enough and that the law should also include tough targets for 2030 if it is to effectively tackle the climate crisis.

In a joint open letter to Timmermans, 12 EU environment ministers urged him to bring forward the delivery of the commission’s proposed 2030 targets from September to the European summer.

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg will also meet with EU commissioners in Brussels on Wednesday, as well as with the European Parliament’s environment committee. (dpa)