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The enthusiasm for European networks unified by the goal signed by EU leaders during the Brussels summit to reduce CO2 by 55% to be achieved by 2030 should make environmentalists and scientists reflect on the slowness of the policy to implement practice as promised. In fact, tomorrow marks 5 years since the conclusion of the negotiations onParis Agreement, then signed by the EU and its member states in 2016, in which it pledged to monitor global warming “well below” the 2-degree rise compared to pre-industrial temperatures. It took Brussels and its 27 member countries half a decade to translate the commitment into a greenhouse gas reduction target (among the main causes of rising temperatures) over the next ten years, and this declaration of intent also came to light only after a night of difficult negotiations. But with the deal closed, everyone celebrates. Including those countries, like Poland, that have done everything possible to block the findings or dilute them with exemptions to save pollution. So let’s see how it turned out.
The reduction already planned
With The document signed today, leaders commit to reducing “net” greenhouse gas emissions (heed this word) by 55% by 2030 “compared to 1990 levels.” Therefore, it is not a question, as one might think at first glance, of halving current air pollution. CO2 and other greenhouse gases have already been reduced, according to thelast report of the European Environment Agency, 24.4% compared to 1990. Second the stages of the European Commission, even without raising the bar for environmental policies already in force in the Old Continent, the 27 member countries should be able to reduce harmful emissions by 46% by 2030 (again compared to the 1990 reference value) . Figures that reduce, and not a little, the commitment reached by European leaders who, in essence, have committed to reducing pollution by 9 percentage points more than was already expected. But that is not all.
No green revolution
In fact, there is also the magic word “network” added to the conclusions of the European Council overnight and which refers to the emissions to be reduced. The amendment – according to the background requested aloud by Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic – also allows the absorption of CO2 due to the silent “work” of forests, forests and the soil in general to be counted in the reduction of gases greenhouse effect. An election, the latter, which according to environmental activists and scientists considerably weakens the actual cuts. According to some initial estimates, the aforementioned current path of reduction in air pollution (-46% by 2030) would be increased by the action of nature by two percentage points, reaching 48%, again without applying more intransigent policies than those against the use of fossil energy sources and in favor of renewable ones. Last night by heads of state and government discussing the environment, therefore, would have resulted in an additional emission reduction of around 7% compared to the current scenario. It is not really a ‘green’ revolution, but just a confirmation of the commitment to fight pollution in line with what has been done for decades.
