European Parliament’s environment committee (ENVI) has back proposals for the EU to move to a 30% carbon reduction target on 1990 levels by 2020, according to reports.
The ENVI committee voted in favour of a resolution to increase the existing 20% target. The move could create up to six million jobs and provide a much-needed boost to the EU economy, it argued.
Bas Eickhout, Greens Member of European Parliament, who drafted the resolution, said: “The European Parliament’s position has been shifting over the last year. There is now broad support for a 30% reduction target and a growing realisation that ambitious climate policies are in Europe’s own economic interest.”
While the committee insisted that ‘offsetting’ in other parts of the world could make up a sixth of the target, it said the EU would need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% domestically.