EU Fit for 55 climate and energy package must be implemented quickly – German state sec

The European Union has set itself “a damn ambitious” greenhouse gas reduction target for 2030 and must therefore quickly negotiate and implement the relevant legislation, said German state secretary in the environment ministry Jochen Flasbarth in an interview with Tagesspiegel. The European Commission recently proposed a large package of proposals to make the bloc “Fit for 55” – it’s new emissions reduction target for 2030. The proposals will now be debated among member states and with the European Parliament in talks that could last two years and more. “Two years would be too much. [...] We need an even faster schedule than currently considered,” said Flasbarth. The state secretary also said that Germany might have to increase its own new climate target (65% emissions reduction by 2030) “by one or two percentage points” and adapt the path to get there once the reforms are decided at EU level. Flasbarth said it was very good not to wait with the German target increase until all the Brussels reforms had been negotiated. “Because we all really have no more time to lose on climate action now.”

The European Commission's comprehensive proposal to get the bloc on track for its new 2030 target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent – the “Fit for 55” package – includes a new emissions trading system for transport and buildings, a sales ban on polluting cars from 2035, more ambitious renewables expansion plans, and a carbon border price on imported goods. The presentation on 14 July kicked off what could be several years of difficult negotiations among member states and the European Parliament before the final reforms are adopted. The proposed changes would heavily influence national policies and the lives of citizens across the European Union.