Implementing New EU Climate Targets

Why Member State responsibility must continue

Publication: Policy Brief
Citation: Meyer-Ohlendorf, Nils 2021: Implementing new EU climate targets – Why Member State responsibility must continue. Berlin: Ecologic Institute.

Legally binding reduction targets for Member States have been the backbone of EU climate policies since 2009. At a moment where the EU increases its climate ambition significantly, reduction targets for Member States must continue. They should be the unequivocal starting point of reforms to make EU climate rules fit for the EU's new climate targets – a new Ecologic Institute policy brief explains why.

More content from this project

Publication:Policy Brief

What matters for the climate is the total amount of emissions and removals over time and corresponding levels of atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration. The current focus on reductions achieved as of a specific moment in time disguises this. Emission budgets that quantify the total amount of permissible emissions would address this problem. The EU should establish an emission budget within its Climate Law. This emission budget should include all GHG emissions, not only CO2. These are some of the key findings of this briefing paper.

Why the EU Needs an Emission Budget

Year 2020

Language: English
Authorship: Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf
Funding: European Climate Foundation (ECF), International
Published by: Ecologic Institute, Germany
Year: 2021
Dimension: 5 pp.
Project ID: 60005
Table of contents: Click to show full table of contents

Summary
Introduction
Member States must remain responsible for taking action at home
Safeguarding national climate targets
Enforcing a collective target
Maintaining Member State ownership and level playing field
Litmus test for genuine commitment to new climate targets
National targets are a tested and established system
Risky experiment when time is of the essence
An extended emission trading scheme could complement increased national targets
Keywords: Climate

EU

Europe

Further Links

PublicationPolicy BriefWhy the EU Needs an Emission Budget

Ecologic Institute

What matters for the climate is the total amount of emissions and removals over time and corresponding levels of atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration. The current focus on reductions achieved as of a specific moment in time disguises this. Emission budgets... Read more

Meyer-Ohlendorf, Nils 2020: Why the EU needs an emission budget. Berlin: Ecologic Institute.