Czechs drop opposition to 2030 climate goal ahead of EU summit

(EurActiv, 15 Oct 2020) The Czech Republic said it was ready to back the EU’s proposed 2030 target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55%, provided that the objective is a collective one and that EU state aid rules do not hamper its nuclear ambitions.

EU heads of states prepare to meet in Brussels for a two-day summit starting on Thursday (15 October), with the EU’s 2030 climate target plan high on the agenda.

Today’s summit will be the first meeting of EU leaders since the European Commission tabled proposals last month to upgrade the bloc’s climate target for 2030 – aiming for a 55% cut in emissions compared to 1990 levels. The current objective is a 40% cut.

The Commission’s climate proposal enjoys broad support from a majority of member states, except Eastern EU countries which have expressed doubts over the plan and wrote a letter to the Commission in July to highlight the “social, environmental and economic costs” of the move to clean energy.

Poland in particular has called for greater financial support from the EU to back its energy transition, and has so far refused to commit itself to an EU-wide objective of cutting emissions down to net-zero by 2050.

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EurActiv, 15 Oct 2020: Czechs drop opposition to 2030 climate goal ahead of EU summit