The European Union (EU) is in danger of losing its global leadership in climate protection, French and German non-governmental organisations (NGOs) warned on Wednesday.
In a joint letter to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron, the groups stressed that a decade after the landmark Paris climate conference, the EU’s influence on international climate policy is waning.
“The EU must remain a strong voice in global climate policy as the impacts of climate change become increasingly evident. Germany and France, as Europe’s largest economies, must speak with one voice,” the NGOs said.
The letter was co-signed by the German League for Nature and Environment, Climate Alliance Germany, and Climate Action Network France. It urged Paris and Berlin to back the European Commission’s proposed 2040 target of cutting emissions by 90 per cent compared with 1990 levels.
The proposal, which allows for controversial offsets through international carbon credits, still requires approval from EU member states and the European Parliament. Resistance from several capitals remains a hurdle.
The NGOs also pointed out that the EU has yet to submit an interim 2035 target, which is expected before the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in November.
(dpa/NAN)