Climate Reality Europe urges decision makers to back green recovery.
Climate Reality Europe is issuing an open letter asking European heads of state and governments to ensure that national and EU budgets and recovery funds are linked to stricter and more ambitious climate targets. The open letter calls for the creation of a just, fair, and carbon-neutral future.
Trillions of euros will be spent by European national governments and the EU to address the economic crisis brought about by the pandemic. At the same time, 2020 is an important opportunity to strengthen climate ambitions through the updating of nationally determined contributions.(1) In order to remain within the 1.5°C target set in the Paris Agreement, the science shows that we must reduce our carbon emissions by nearly 8% globally each year through 2030.(2)
“We have been given an unprecedented opportunity to forge a partnership between climate ambitions and recovery planning. Such a partnership will prove fruitful only if we can ensure that the climate targets are high enough and the economic recovery sufficiently green. It is up to our decision makers, including national governments, to ensure that emissions reductions targets are integrated into budget planning in order to achieve climate neutrality well before 2050 in Europe,” said Branch Manager, Climate Reality Europe, Zsolt Bauer.
Climate Reality Europe’s open letter that can be find below demands that recovery funds be linked to ambitious climate targets and binding legislation. The letter will be sent to high-profile decision makers, including heads of state, governments, the European Commission, and members of the European Parliament, immediately before key decision-making moments, urging them to invest in a green recovery and realize the targets set in the Paris Agreement.
Notes
(1) The Paris Agreement requires each party to prepare, communicate, and maintain successive nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that it intends to achieve. Parties are obliged to pursue domestic mitigation measures with the aim of achieving the objectives of such contributions.
(2) The United Nations’ Emissions Gap Report 2019 showed that, at global level, annual emissions reductions of 7.6% between now and 2030 are needed in order to achieve the 1.5°C target set in the Paris Agreement. This pace of reduction would require the EU to raise its 2030 target to at least 65%.
Make green recovery a reality — make the Paris Agreement a reality!
Open Letter to European decision makers: Heads of States*, European Commission, European Parliament
The Paris Agreement, the European Union’s Green Deal, the climate emergency declarations already made at local level, the green plans of pioneering businesses, the voice of science, and the expectations of citizens – there are so many reasons for you to make an ambitious decision about the future of Europe!
For centuries, we have built our economies single-mindedly on fossil fuels, leading not only to the climate crisis but also to the erosion of biodiversity and to our present vulnerability to the COVID-19 pandemic. The consequences for citizens and communities typically reflect and reinforce existing inequalities.
Reset the economy! All European governments are currently developing plans to minimize the economic consequences of the pandemic. We must use this opportunity to ensure a systemic transformation that turns the emissions curve around permanently and contributes to the creation of a just, fair, and carbon-neutral future.
Stop fossil subsidies! It’s time to turn our backs on dirty fossil fuels and to power our lives and economies with affordable clean energy, supporting communities and individuals to build a resilient, healthy Europe.
Make the Paris Agreement a reality and ensure climate neutrality well before 2050! In order to remain within the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement, the science shows that we must reduce our carbon emissions by nearly 8% globally every year through 2030. Taking action now will mean a smaller burden on future generations – so all European countries, including the European Union, should be making their plans to reduce carbon emissions even more ambitious and aiming to transform Europe into the first carbon-neutral continent. In case of the European Union a 65% reduction target is needed and all European countries should be similarly ambitious.
Make green recovery a reality! Binding and transparent mechanisms must be developed and made obligatory with respect to all spending, so as to connect recovery funds with ambitious NDCs. Affected communities need to be involved in decision making, and direct funding is needed at local level to respond to challenges on the ground.
We are calling on you to make bold decisions, and we are pledging our help to build support among citizens by explaining the benefits of progressive, pioneering strategies.
This letter has been signed by the Climate Reality Europe network of volunteers trained by our chairman, former US Vice President Al Gore:
Sahar Abdulla ⚬ Kia Aejmelaeus ⚬ Alisa Afkhami ⚬ Silvia Anna Ainio ⚬ Brenda Ainsley ⚬ Carol Aitken ⚬ Florence Akpokodje ⚬ Nan Albertson, PhD ⚬ Giorgio Amborno ⚬ Clare Ambrose ⚬ Saleta Ameixeiras Rodríguez ⚬ Roebyem Anders ⚬ Natalia Arenzana Arias ⚬ Ancor Armas Martin ⚬ Jonathan Aslin ⚬ Yasar Atacik ⚬ Sanhita Athalye ⚬ Sahar Azar ⚬ Roland Baartscheer ⚬ Yanna Badet ⚬ Mir Bahauddin ⚬ Cagla Balci Eris ⚬ Rob Ball ⚬ Rheinhart Banogon ⚬ Paulo Baptista ⚬ Sofia Barbeiro ⚬ Sandra Barros ⚬ Susanna Basso ⚬ Zsolt Bauer ⚬ Dorottya Bauer ⚬ Horst Bayer ⚬ Amadeus Beaujolin ⚬ Miguel Santiago Bejarano ⚬ Danny Belitz ⚬ Gregor Bell ⚬ Clara Amalie Bendix ⚬ Paula Benito ⚬ Peter Bentham ⚬ Shooka Bidarian ⚬ Trudi Bishop ⚬ Sheri Bluestein ⚬ Lasse Bøhme ⚬ Carlos Shanka Boissy Diaz ⚬ Francesco Bonomo ⚬ Franco Borgogno ⚬ Igne Borisaite ⚬ Antonella Bosio ⚬ Marian Boswall ⚬ Umberto Bozzolini ⚬ Chiara Bozzolino ⚬ Emma Bramley ⚬ Justyn Branton ⚬ Thorsten Brehm ⚬ Fenja Bremer ⚬ Nicola Brennan ⚬ Hannah Brookes ⚬Claire Brown ⚬ Francesca Brunner ⚬ Lewis Brusby ⚬ Matthias Bucher ⚬ Tu Doan-Quynh Bui ⚬ Lucía Buj Vicente ⚬ Anna Burke ⚬ Britt Buseyne ⚬ Jana Cabrnochova ⚬ Thais Camolesi Guimaraes ⚬ Jose Miguel Campos Martín ⚬ Elena Cantarello ⚬ Melissa Capcha Eulogio ⚬ Francesco Cara ⚬ Samantha Carbajal ⚬Christina Carlmark ⚬ Belinda Carp ⚬ Fernando Casillas Bernal ⚬ Lodovica Cattani ⚬ Giacomo Cavalli ⚬Gabriela Cazenave ⚬ Emanuela Cepoiu ⚬ Julian Champion ⚬ Caroline Chapman ⚬ David Chapman ⚬ Kate Charrington ⚬ Crystal Cheung ⚬ Mark Chivers ⚬ Von Chua ⚬ Fabio Cian ⚬ Salvatore Ciccia ⚬ Ryan Clark ⚬Amanda Cohen ⚬ Frank Colenso ⚬ Peter Coles ⚬ Anna Colucci ⚬ Mira Conci ⚬ Jemimah Conde ⚬ Iwan Corcoran ⚬ Ana Correia ⚬ V. Sayel Cortes Berrueta ⚬ Claudia Cortina-Castro ⚬ Laura Cradock ⚬ Alejandro Criado-Pérez ⚬ Ali Crighton ⚬ Simão Cunha ⚬ Arthur Cupertino ⚬ Adelina Dabu ⚬ Zenepe Dafku ⚬ Erik Dalhuijsen ⚬ Francesco Dalla Gassa ⚬ Focco Dam ⚬ Katherine Davies ⚬ Clare Day ⚬ Christian De Boeck ⚬Samuel De Loenen ⚬ Dominik Deck ⚬ Dina DeHart ⚬ Luca Del Bo ⚬ Miguel del Valle ⚬ Laura Delupi ⚬ Peter Desmond ⚬ Samuele Di Lernia ⚬ Luigi Di Marco ⚬ Jeanne Di Meglio ⚬ Daniella Domsa ⚬ Samie Dorgham ⚬ Esther Dovey ⚬ Jacqueline Downes ⚬ João Duarte ⚬ Ana Duarte ⚬ Jo Durgan ⚬ Maria Arnolda Egberts ⚬Fanny Elfgren ⚬ Lisa Ellwood ⚬ Franziska Elmer ⚬ Fabian Elsken Sicard ⚬ Inés Elvira ⚬ Raoul Empey ⚬ Elin Engkvist ⚬ Liselotte Engstam ⚬ Marion Enzer ⚬ Emelie Eriksson ⚬ Federico Fargion ⚬ Rosie Farr ⚬ Roberto Fasano ⚬ Vijaya Fatimathas ⚬ Olaitan Fawole ⚬ Moustafa Fawzy ⚬ Lee Fennell ⚬ José Fernandes ⚬ Pablo Fernandez Medina ⚬ Mairi Ferris ⚬ Gloria Ficili ⚬ Craig Findlay ⚬ Paola Fiore, Dr. ⚬ Daniel Flores ⚬ Domenico Francesco Floro ⚬ Christine Fløysand ⚬ Laura Fontana ⚬ Carla Franco Ferreira ⚬ Nuno Freitas ⚬ Nuno Freitas ⚬ Lisa Freudenthaler ⚬ Marie Freville ⚬ Noemie Frohn ⚬ Raquel García ⚬ Nick Gardner ⚬ Bob Garner ⚬ Eilidh Garrow ⚬ Charalampia Geladari ⚬ Isabelle Gerretsen ⚬ Shreya Ghodawat ⚬ Nils Giesen ⚬ Susan Goldsworthy ⚬ A. Goldwyn ⚬ Bruno Gomes ⚬ Jose Gomez de la Varga ⚬ Marta Gomez-Navarro ⚬ Javier González Liquete ⚬ Julian Goode ⚬ Matt Goodsell ⚬ Chris Gordon ⚬ Molina Gosch ⚬ Alexander Gottschling ⚬Brian Gray ⚬ Martina Gregorova ⚬ Nathalie Gröfke ⚬ Selina Großmann ⚬ Asia Guerreschi ⚬ Simon Haberfellner ⚬ Veronika Hagovská ⚬ Marieke Hammes ⚬ Kim Hanke ⚬ Sorcha Hanratty ⚬ Duncan Harris ⚬ Emma Hatherley ⚬ Agon Haxhikadrija ⚬ Colette Henry ⚬ Ana Hernández ⚬ Sally Higgs ⚬ Sally Higgs ⚬ Scott Hill ⚬ Alžbeta Hlucháňova ⚬ Klaus Hommer ⚬ Sandra Hounkonnou ⚬ Dominik Hüsener ⚬ Frank Huttel ⚬ Jesse Irwin ⚬ Susan Jackson ⚬ Sonia Jackson ⚬ Helen Jacobs ⚬ Maria Jangsten ⚬ Kostian Jano ⚬ Gill Jenkins ⚬Deborah Jenner ⚬ Katie Jepson ⚬ Sanjeev Jha ⚬ Alice Jiang ⚬ Versha Jones ⚬ Laura Jonkers ⚬ Maxi H. 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