Germany, Poland not among EU countries appealing for greater climate ambition – media

France, the Netherlands and Sweden are among a group of eight countries that have launched an appeal to boost EU climate action ahead of a major EU leaders summit, but missing from the list of signatories are Germany, Italy and Poland, reports Frédéric Simon for Euractiv. The leaked document calls for an ambitious long-term EU climate strategy with the objective of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. French government sources confirmed that Germany did not want to support the current climate ambition push, but expressed hope that it would at a later point, German business daily Handelsblatt writes in a separate article.

European leaders did not call for climate neutrality by 2050 at a summit in Brussels in March amid German resistance, EurActiv previously reported. Currently, Germany aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by "80 to 95 percent" by 2050. Chancellor Angela Merkel said in 2017, however, that Germany had to decide on an exact target in the current legislative period. The difference between an 80 percent scenario and a 95 percent scenario is significant. In a 2018 study, BDI said that targeting the upper end is only realistic if other industrialised countries make comparable efforts. The first draft of the planned Climate Action Law – meant to ensure Germany reaches its 2030 targets – includes a call for climate neutrality and a 95 percent greenhouse gas reduction by 2050. The government coalition of Merkel’s conservative CDU/CSU alliance is divided on the planned law.