While we in Europe are currently facing a fast worsening ‘second wave’ of the pandemic, we should not lose out of sight the climate crisis that threatens humanity. I have witnessed recently the damage it is already causing in Africa and the storms Alex and Barbara that have hit Europe are another reminder – if any reminder is needed – of the danger we face.

Europe is at the forefront on climate change

The European Green Deal is a central focus of this Commission’s mandate. We have already decided to aim for climate neutrality in 2050 and we are currently discussing to raise the level of our ambition for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The Next Generation EU recovery plan has also been built around this priority.

However, we must be aware of our limits in this area as the European Union is responsible for only 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. We can only tackle climate change effectively with a global approach in a multilateral framework.

The question of the role of developing countries

Since the Rio Summit in 1992, one of the main difficulties in reaching global agreements has been around the question which role developing countries, in particular China, should play. Originally, developing countries considered, in a way that had merit, that the main responsibility for climate change lay with the developed countries and that therefore they should make the necessary efforts. However, this exclusion of developing countries also led the United States to refuse to ratify the Kyoto Protocol in 1997.

Economic developments and global changes over the past 30 years have profoundly modified the situation. Given China’s technological prowess (space exploration, cutting-edge military technology, AI), its continued self-definition as a ‘developing country’ looks more and more anachronistic and self-serving: China is an international player ready to step up on its responsibilities. However, by 2014, China agreed to make commitments on the limitation of its greenhouse gas emissions, paving the way for the Paris Agreement in 2015.

Read more at: EU (graphics available)