EU Parliament criticises lack of Brexit climate clarity

The European Parliament's environment committee has criticised the EU-UK trade agreement's lack of clarity in climate and environmental provisions.

The committee says the European Commission should make "full use" of dispute resolution tools laid out in the Brexit agreement in the event of UK non-compliance. It also underlined the provision of access to justice for stakeholders in cases of suspected breaches of the environmental level-playing field and non-regression clauses.

The committee expressed regret that the EU and UK did not take into account revised economy-wide targets for 2030 in the non-regression clause, which locks in climate and environmental standards in place at the end of 2020.

The EU on 18 December submitted its revised nationally determined contribution (NDC) under the Paris climate agreement of at least a 55pc reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 compared with 1990 levels, up from 40pc previously. The UK on 3 December submitted a revised 2030 NDC of 68pc, up from 53pc.

But the committee noted that the UK is not on track to meet its fourth and fifth carbon budgets — given current policies and funding — even with the announced ban on sales of new gasoline and diesel cars by 2030.

The committee also highlighted the lack of clarity on how close the UK carbon market will align with the EU's emissions trading system. Any significant differences should be accounted for in the EU's planned carbon border adjustment mechanism, it said. The committee also questioned how aviation and maritime GHG emissions will be addressed.

The European Commission has made clear that meeting environmental and climate standards — with guaranteed access to UK waters for EU fishing vessels — is necessary for continued implementation of provisions to facilitate power and gas trade between the EU and UK.

By Dafydd ab Iago