Ahead of the meeting of the 28 environment ministers tomorrow, leading S&D MEPs called on the Council to support the deal reached last year in the UN Climate Conference in Paris and allow for a parliamentary vote next week in Strasbourg.
S&D Group president Gianni Pittella said:
“The EU must remain a global leader in the fight against climate change. The Council should back the deal tomorrow so that the European Parliament can approve it next week and the agreement can come into force as soon as possible. The US and China have already approved the agreement and the EU, as the world's third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, must act now.
“The Paris agreement was a turning point and we must deliver. We can ensure that this is a win-win situation: by protecting our planet we will also be setting the path for a smart and sustainable economic growth.”
S&D Group vice-president responsible for sustainable development Kathleen van Brempt added:
“There is no time to waste, and this was made clear last year in Paris. If we don’t act now, the cost of climate change will become unbearable: droughts, rising sea levels and floods, lost crops... We have enough innovative technology and the EU has the legal means to act fast. Let’s use them!”
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