93 per cent of emissions produced outside the EU. Brussels pushes on global carbon markets

Brussels – Carbon capture and storage techniques and nuclear power. In Brussels’ climate plans for 2040, there are, on the one hand, disputed CCS technologies and, on the other hand, atomic energy. There is no doubt in the mind of the European Commissioner for Climate Action, Wopke Hoekstra, who was “questioned” today by MEPs from the Environment Committee (ENVI) on the intermediate climate target for 2040 communication, presented last February 6 by the EU executive recommending a 90 per cent emissions cut from 1990 levels. However, part of the intermediate climate effort to 2040 will have to come from countries outside the EU. “93 per cent of emissions are produced outside the European Union, and this does not mean in any way that the EU should not do its best to bring down that 7 per cent because climate change is indiscriminate but that if we don’t do everything to bring down that 93 per cent, we will be in a very, very difficult situation here in Europe, but also Africa, Latin America, Asia, and North America,” the commissioner reminded.

A communication, not yet a legally binding proposal: Hoekstra clarified this, putting details and actual legislative proposal back in the hands of the next European Commission, which will take office after the June 6-9 elections. It is a “direction of travel but not yet a legal proposal that will be a matter for the next Commission and the next Parliament,” the European commissioner made clear, pointing out that it will be the next institutions that will “decide and be much, much, much more precise and much, much more detailed about what it means and what the consequences will be.”

Today’s European Commission, however, has initiated a dialogue, a confrontation with member states, the EU Parliament,  citizens, and businesses. Based on this discussion, the future European executive will come up with a proposal which is unlikely to deviate from the 90 per cent target since it was recommended in Brussels by the Climate Advisory Committee.

Hoekstra remains convinced that nuclear power will have “a place in the solution” to achieve these goals. “We can’t afford to keep it out, and I know there are many divisions between countries, but the taxonomy (the EU’s sustainable investment ranking system) is clear, and several member states are heavily dependent on nuclear power.” The same goes for carbon capture and storage technologies. “We should not be ideological; we should not demonize them because we are in a situation where we cannot afford them. We will need them especially in those sectors that are difficult to decarbonize.” The Dutch commissioner said he is convinced that these techniques (usually applied in industrial plants, such as cement or steel plants, and power plants) can apply “only to a small percentage of the equation” but that they are “part of the solution.”