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The European Commission officially unveiled its Climate Law on Wednesday (March 4), aiming to make the EU carbon neutral by 2050. But Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg criticized the plan as a "surrender." Under the proposed legislation, the EU will have to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century and reach an increased target by 2030, yet to be determined. What Commission President Ursula von der Leyen admitted is a short proposal . Climate change Von der Leyen said in a statement regarding the 2050 deadline: It is no longer a distance impossible to imagine. I hope my kids are younger than I am now at that time. It will be our compass for the next 30 years. She said the legislation "offers predictability and transparency to the industry and investors" and "first-mover advantage ," while convincing other regions and countries around the world to follow the EU's lead. EU climate chief Frans Timmermans told reporters that "it's about showing that the EU means business.
It will help us stay the course amid the other emergencies that come our way in the next 30 years, to allow institutions to focus." The Dutchman added that it is "a wake-up call" to other countries such as China and the United States, to do more on climate action, adding that it is "an open challenge for others to try to beat us." Thunberg claims However, teenage activist Greta Thunberg, who sat next to von der Leyen at the university's weekly meeting, was unimpressed by America Cell Phone Number List the plan. At a meeting of Parliament's environment committee later in the day, she said: The Climate Law is a "surrender." We will not allow them to surrender our future. The EU must stop “pretending it can be a climate leader” while continuing to build and subsidize new fossil fuel infrastructure. In an open letter published earlier this week, she and other activists warned that climate neutrality in 2050 leaves the planet with only a 50% chance of meeting the Paris Agreement's most ambitious temperature goal. They urged policymakers to focus on the remaining carbon budget – the volume of greenhouse gases that can be emitted while maintaining climate goals – and to listen to the best available scientific evidence.

juliana v US» by vpickering is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Goal 2030: MIA The proposed legislation does not include an increase to the EU's current 2030 target and only commits the Commission to publishing a suggested update by September, as revealed by a leak of the law obtained by EURACTIV. Under current climate rules, the EU as a whole must reduce its greenhouse gas production by 40% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. That goal has been called insufficient because it predates the Paris climate agreement of 2015. During von der Leyen's courting of support for her Commission presidency, the German official pledged to raise the benchmark for the EU to do its fair share in reducing emissions. Timmermans also promised the same during his hearing in Parliament in September. The climate chief insisted today that a comprehensive impact assessment on the costs of a higher 2030 target must be done right and that “we don't want thoroughness to be a victim of political expediency”. Twelve countries urged the Dutch earlier this week to bring forward its timetable to June, rather than September, to give negotiators the summer period to reach a deal. Timmermans suggested that if his services rushed to outnumber them, it would cost the EU more time, as member states could dispute the Commission's work if it is not airtight.
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