Euro-Parliament votes to reduce member states’ emissions by 40 pct

MEPs adopted Tuesday a revised ‘Effort Sharing Regulation’, which reduces allowed maximum level of greenhouse gas emissions in member states from transport, buildings and agriculture until 2030.

The regulation sets binding annual reductions for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission for road transport, heating of buildings, agriculture, small industrial installations and waste management for each EU member state and currently regulates roughly 60% of all EU emissions.

The revised law increases the 2030 GHG reduction target at EU level from 30% to 40% compared to 2005-levels. For the first time, all EU countries must now reduce GHG emissions with targets ranging between 10 and 50%. The 2030-targets for each member state are based on GDP per capita and cost-effectiveness. Member states will also have to ensure every year that they do not exceed their annual GHG emission allocation.

The law strikes a balance between the need for EU countries to be flexible to achieve their targets while ensuring a just and socially fair transition, and the need to close loopholes so the overall EU reduction target is met. For this reason, there are limits on how many emissions member states can save from previous years, borrow from future years as well as on how much they can trade allocations with other member states.

In order to be able to hold member states accountable, the Commission will make information public on national actions in an easily accessible form, as requested by Parliament. The text now also has to be formally endorsed by Council. It will then be published in the EU Official Journal and enter into force 20 days later.

Source: EUbusiness