European Union's ambitions for achieving energy neutrality by 2050 are growing. The proposal is to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from 40% to 50-55% compared to 1990 levels. An online consultation has been opened to collect citizens' opinions and proposals.
Climate change has been going on for some time now. The effects are found in phenomena such as drought and abnormal heat, sudden and high-intensity rain events even in areas of the planet that until a few decades ago had never been affected. The cause of these events is due to global warming; because of this, action must be taken, in order to stop rising temperatures and avoid irreversible environmental upheavals.
In the minds of all environment-sensitive people, a very specific number has long been imprinted: 1.5 Celsius degrees, the last threshold of increase in global temperatures that humanity can afford for the preservation of planet Earth.
Keeping this number in mind that 195 countries of the world –European Union included – have signed the Paris Agreement: a treaty that commits those involved to review, from this 2020, their internal policies on greenhouse gas emissions and finance. The goal to avert environmental tragedy is climate neutrality and the European Commission has tabled a bill for which EU members declare their political commitment to its achievement by 2050.
The European Climate Act provides for the implementation of checks on the progress made in terms of reducing emissions made by each member of the EU and the possible implementation of interventions if necessary. According to the Commission, the involvement of the public – or rather the citizens – in what will be the European climate pact is also important. In order to achieve this, an online consultation has been launched, where the Commission invites people to contribute ideas and proposals to the climate goals plan to be achieved by 2030.
Among the 2030 targets, the Commission intends to revise the EU's commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions, to bring the reduction rate from the 40% already forecast to a more challenging 50-55% compared to the levels recorded in 1990. In particular, the consultation aims to gather views on European ambitions on climate and energy policies, proposals for action to be taken and policies to be adopted to meet new ambitions.
The change to the action parameters would be necessary to follow the objectives of the European Green Deal and, above all, to make the hypothesis of the creation of an energy-neutral Europe more concrete by 2050. At the end of the consultation, the European Commission will analyse the data and next September will present a new strategic plan revised with a view to achieving the strictest emission cut rates.
