With US president Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, the EU missed a chance to demonstrate climate leadership, said Austrian Green MEP Lena Schilling, who will be part of the European Parliament's delegation to Cop 30 in Belem, Brazil.
Are you concerned about even greater international climate backsliding?
This Cop will be extremely challenging with Trump in office. This could have been the moment for the EU to commit to climate ambition, but the European Commission only announced its 2040 climate target in July, months later than expected. The rush, and later, the letter of intent on the nationally determined contribution (NDC) is not a concrete proposal for the UN. Getting a clearer policy from parliament also depends on the largest group, the EPP.
What do they want?
There is no unified EPP position on key issues and no EPP joint position on the 2040 target is expected. Doubts persist, also among the EU states, over the timeline, scope, and social climate fund for the emissions trading system (ETS) for road transport and housing fuels (ETS2). The EPP is not willing to negotiate on climate issues before EU states decide.
What does that lack of clarity mean for the whole parliament?
The entire EU Green Deal [the bloc's plan to transform its economy] is under pressure and is beginning to crumble. The question is what will remain. This is not just about member states or the commission — the parliament itself could backtrack. If some in the EPP decide to support a 2040 target, they'll also need the Greens. The EPP lacks the numbers without the center-left S&D, liberal Renew, and Greens. If they choose to work with us, we expect a reasonable 2040 target aligned with science — a 90pc reduction in greenhouse gases. But many uncertainties remain [on the so-called flexibilities recently added to accompany the target]. Who will buy international credits? Does high quality mean direct air capture (DAC) with carbon capture and storage (DACCS), bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) or biochar? A serious discussion about international carbon credits is needed, not just an attempt to find loopholes or delay.
How do you view the idea of deciding the 2040 climate target at a later date?
The Danish EU presidency is pushing to finalise the 2040 target as soon as possible. A clear path is needed now. It makes no sense to discuss a 2035 NDC without knowing if the target is achievable. The parliament passed a resolution for COP 30 with a 72.5pc reduction target by 2035. If the EPP can commit to that by 2035, why not a 90pc cut target by 2040?
I'm not confident the target will be for a 90pc, or 87pc reduction target with 3pc international carbon credits next month at the environment ministers on 4 November. Whatever happens, there will be many deals in the background — on the ETS or the phase-out of the internal combustion engine (ICE).
Are you concerned the ETS2 will survive?
It's unclear if there is a majority in parliament to continue with the ETS2. On the EU states' side, it's getting more complicated. Many countries have doubts. As Greens, we support front-loading ETS2 — bringing forward auctioning of allowances earlier than planned. But I'm a bit critical of what that means for the market stability reserve (MSR). Another point is that ETS2 is written into EU law. It should be implemented. However, as seen with other Green Deal laws, such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), they can be stopped. It's no longer a given.
