German state environment ministers call for 60% EU emission cut target

Germany's state environment ministers back the European Parliament's call for raising the bloc's 2030 emission target to a 60 percent cut, reports Der Spiegel. The 16 ministers agreed to the initiative by Northern State Schleswig-Holstein, arguing the step was necessary to achieve Europe's contribution to the Paris Climate Agreement. "The Federal Government must support the European Parliament and work towards the 60 percent target within the framework of the EU Council Presidency", said Schleswig Holstein's environment minister Jan Philipp Albrecht, a member of the Green Party.  

Germany currently holds the EU Council presidency and aims to get member states to agree a new 2030 target before the end of this year, in order to be able to communicate it to the UN. Paris Agreement signatories are called upon to update their nationally determined contributions (NDC) by the end of the year, and EU member states will aim to find agreement on their positions at a meeting in December. The EU Commission proposed earlier this year to raise the 2030 emissions reduction target to “at least 55 percent”, a target supported by many member states, including Germany. In October, the European Parliament voted to increase the 2030 reduction target to 60 percent.