Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks welcomed the European Union Commission's proposal for the distribution of efforts toward achieving the joint European climate action target for 2030 among the Member States: "This is a good basis for the upcoming negotiations," she said. In the Paris Agreement, the European Union committed itself to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The Commission proposal now serves to implement this target in European Union law.
Minister Hendricks commented: "Europe is serious about climate action. Not only Germany, but also all other European Union countries will significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. For the first time, there are binding commitments for Eastern European countries to reduce their emissions. Some talk of burden sharing. But I find the term opportunity sharing more appropriate. That is because climate action is a major opportunity for the modernisation of our European economies. With our existing national targets, we want to go beyond the requirements that have been set out. But that must benefit the environment and not lead to other European countries doing less."
Specifically, the Commission proposes a climate target for each European Union Member State for the sectors that do not participate in emissions trading, for example transport, buildings, agriculture and waste. For Germany, a binding greenhouse gas reduction of 38 percent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels is set out. This value cannot be directly compared with the national climate target of at least a 55 percent reduction by 2030, compared to the base year of 1990 in all sectors (including emissions trading sectors). However, compared to the proposal of the European Commission, it is clear that Germany's existing national climate action target is rather more ambitious.
Industry and energy production are not affected by the current European Union proposal because they fall under Europe-wide emissions trading, which is also to be reformed. The Commission’s proposal is based on the European Union climate action targets for 2030, which were approved in October 2014 by the European Council. At that time, the rough formula for the allocation of targets was also adopted, according to which countries with a higher per capita income have to do more than poorer Member States.
A second legislative proposal of the European Commission deals with forests and soils. For the first time, their climate impact is to be governed by a European climate regulation (the LULUCF sector, which stands for "land-use, land-use change and forestry"). Member States are to ensure that the effects of climate action are enhanced, for example by forests, which absorb and bind CO2. According to the Commission proposal, to a limited extent emission credits from this sector can also be used to achieve the climate action targets in other sectors.
Minister Hendricks added: "It is important that we use this as a basis to arrive at decisions quickly that advance climate action in the European Union. That is why I am working to see that we exercise restraint in dealing with exceptions such as the transfer of forest credits."
There will be negotiations on Commission's legislative proposal in autumn in the European Council and the European Parliament.