BELÉM, Brazil — European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned Friday that the battle towards local weather change was not towards the fuels that trigger it — solely the air pollution they emit.
“We’re not preventing fossil fuels, we’re preventing the emissions from fossil fuels,” mentioned von der Leyen at a press convention on the G20 in South Africa.
The remark may undermine the EU place, simply as European ministers had been set to make a stand for a “roadmap” to maneuver away from coal, oil and gasoline on the COP30 local weather talks, going down on the opposite facet of the Atlantic in Brazil.
A draft deal, instructed by the Brazilian presidency, contained no reference to previous offers to maneuver away from fossil fuels, nor did it have the roadmap pushed for by many EU nations, although notably not the EU itself.
In a single day, 14 EU member states joined 22 different nations, a lot of them extremely weak to local weather impacts, threatening to break down the talks over the absence of fossil fuels from the deal.
“We can not assist an final result that doesn’t embrace a roadmap for implementing a simply, orderly, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels,” mentioned a letter from these nations to the Brazilian organizers, seen by POLITICO.
Von der Leyen emphasised Fridaythat the EU was not resiling from its authorized local weather objectives.
“We’re staying the course,” she mentioned. “We’re very clear that we need to attain these targets. We’re effectively on observe for the 2030 goal. On the way in which ahead we have now to be adaptable and versatile as a result of it is a enormous transition that’s taking place. Nobody has carried out this earlier than. So we actually are in uncharted waters.”
Requested about von der Leyen’s feedback simply as he was strolling right into a United Nations plenary, EU local weather chief Wopke Hoekstra mentioned: “The issue is brought on by emissions, and the truth is that the dirtier the fossil gas, the extra injury they’re doing.”
That, he added, was why the EU was calling for better efforts to chop planet-warming emissions at COP30.
Danish Local weather Minister Lars Aagaard, strolling beside Hoekstra, mentioned: “Emissions are a consequence of fossil fuels, so I discover it a bit onerous to see the excellence. What we have to see right here is to have the emissions down. That’s what we’re aiming for, that’s what we got here for.”
European Fee spokesperson Paula Pinho mentioned: “Fossil fuels are emissions intensive sources of power. By preventing emissions, we’re de facto bringing down the share of fossil fuels. Our laws is predicated on targets for emission reductions. We stay totally dedicated to the transition away from fossil fuels.”
European lawmakers on the bottom in Belém had been extra essential of von der Leyen’s phrases.
“I consider she’s making an attempt to be diplomatic, however one factor may be very clear: We have to exit fossil fuels to decrease our emissions,” mentioned Lena Schilling, an MEP from the Greens.
“Europe is preventing to extend ambition” on lowering emissions at COP30, “and that’s the objective I believe von der Leyen ought to stand behind, like each member state,” mentioned Mohammed Chahim, vp of the center-left Socialists & Democrats within the European Parliament.
Emissions, he added, “are totally linked to fossil fuels, so I believe Europe ought to assist the decision of phasing out fossil fuels.”
Noting that the give attention to tackling emissions quite than their supply typically implies intensive use of carbon seize expertise (CCS), which is as but unavailable at scale, he referred to one thing Hoekstra mentioned repeatedly eventually 12 months’s local weather summit: “Like a really sensible commissioner mentioned on the earlier COP, you can’t CCS your self out of all the things.”
This story has been up to date.