Paving the way for the EU's 55% carbon reduction target by 2030, the European Parliament passed two key pieces of legislation last week (the 14th), requiring stricter emissions reduction targets. The reduction target for sectors not included in the carbon trading market will be raised from 30% to 40% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, and will also require an increase in carbon dioxide sequestration in forests, marshes, and other areas. Both bills still require formal approval by the Council before they can take effect, but after months of negotiations, consensus is extremely high, and they are expected to pass smoothly.
Different responsibilities: countries with higher carbon emissions should reduce more
On the 14th, the European Parliament passed the amendment to the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) by 486 votes to 132, with 10 abstentions.
Transport, buildings, agriculture, and waste management account for approximately 60% of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions, yet are not covered by the EU's ETS. These sectors are required to reduce their carbon emissions by 30% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, a target that was raised to 40% by the amendment. Each member state has a different reduction responsibility, ranging from 10% to 50%.
This figure is calculated based on each country's per capita GDP (gross domestic product) and cost-effectiveness. In other words, wealthy countries have to bear more responsibility. Reuters gave the example of Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg and Sweden, which all need to reduce emissions by 50%, while Bulgaria's is 10%.
EU boosts carbon absorption in land and forests to accelerate carbon removal
The second amendment is to the Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF), hoping to increase the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by natural systems through measures such as restoring wetlands and swamps, afforestation, and stopping deforestation.
MEP Ville Niinistö noted that this is the first time the EU has combined legislation to take into account both the biodiversity and climate crises.
The amendment aims to achieve a net removal of 310 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030, approximately 15% higher than current removals. If achieved, this would surpass the EU's original 55% carbon reduction target for 2030, raising it to around 57%. Parliament ultimately passed the bill by a vote of 479 to 97, with 43 abstentions.
EU member states will set their own 2030 carbon removal targets based on their performance and potential. The EU will also improve the monitoring and verification of emissions and removals, for example by using geospatial data and telemetry to track progress. If progress is insufficient, there are penalty clauses. Member states will face an increase in their 2030 greenhouse gas reduction targets, up to 108% of their permitted greenhouse gas emissions for 2026-2029.
Source: Environmental Information Center (https://e-info.org.tw/node/236366)
