EU environment commissioner urges urgent, deep emissions cuts

Brussels [Belgium], September 3: European Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius has urged the international community not to lose sight of the climate targets that have already been set.
At the world climate conference COP28 at the end of the year, a review of the global climate protection efforts to date is to be drawn up.
"The global stock take is the main event for COP28 and will reveal both the ambition and implementation gaps in a way that should drive more action," Sinkevicius told DPA.
But this "also carries a risk" that parties begin to focus on the next round of national climate contributions and new funding, rather than on what still needs to be done now in the current decade,he said.
The context for COP28 is extremely challenging overall, as little progress has been made on mitigation targets so far, the commissioner said.
It is therefore "extremely important to focus on the implementation" of previous targets.
In his view, everyone must commit to cutting emissions by 2025 and to reducing emissions urgently and deeply during this decade.
Appropriate action and investment should follow.
The risk of not reaching the 2015 Paris climate agreement's goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, if possible, is very high, he said.
"We need to keep 1.5 degrees alive, because that's the hope basically that we have," said Sinkevicius.
According to climate researchers, this goal can only be achieved through a radical change in climate policy. The international community of states has agreed on the target in order to avoid crossing dangerous tipping points with irreversible consequences and to avert the most catastrophic consequences.
At present, however, according to the United Nations, the earth is heading for 2.8 degrees of warming - with unforeseeable consequences.
The World Climate Conference COP28 will take place in Dubai from November 30 to December 12.
The new Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra is expected to lead the negotiations on behalf of the EU.
Hoekstra, from the Netherlands, was nominated as the new European Commissioner for Climate Protection at the beginning of the week and must now receive the approval of the European Parliament.
Criticism of the appointment is growing in the Netherlands, however.
Greens, Social Democrats and environmental organizations and a citizens' movement complained that he lacked expertise and had not yet campaigned for climate protection.
Source: Qatar Tribune