Stephen Minas

Opinion | European climate change law: consensus politics is powering the EU towards net zero, but will others follow?

The European Climate Law requiring binding action from EU institutions and member states to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is the result of years of negotiation and dialogue

Most importantly, it rests on the recognition of a shared vision to slow climate change. Other major economies should commit to this transition in their own interests

Reading Time:3 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

A cyclist rides past the European flags in front of the Slovenia Parliament building in Ljubljana, on June 29. The European Climate Law is a milestone in the global transition to climate neutrality. Photo: AP

Stephen Minas

Published: 11:30pm, 1 Jul 2021Updated: 1:03am, 2 Jul 2021

The world’s largest economic bloc is officially going “climate neutral”. Last week, the European Parliament endorsed the European Climate Law, which sets a binding objective to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union by 2050. Representatives of the 27 EU member states approved the law on Monday, paving the way for its entry into force.

Net zero or climate neutrality means remaining emissions are balanced out by the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere into “carbon sinks”, such as forests.

The law is a milestone in the global transition to climate neutrality. In response to the Paris climate agreement and the mass protests in favour of tougher climate action, EU leaders in December 2019 committed to a climate-neutral EU by 2050.

This political commitment has since been matched by many other advanced economies, including Japan, Canada and South Korea, as well as developing countries. Importantly, the international momentum for net zero has increased rather than slackened during the pandemic, despite some fears that the health crisis would force climate policy onto the back burner.

03:27

World leaders pledge to cut greenhouse emissions at virtual Earth Day summit

The election of Joe Biden as president saw the US rejoin the Paris Agreement and committing to deeper emissions cuts. Today, there are few OECD countries that have not adopted a target of net zero by 2050.