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EU Parliament Backs Paris Climate Goals

The European Parliament backed curbs on EU states’ emissions on Wednesday (June 14) to share the burden of the bloc’s Paris climate goals and forge … Continue reading EU Parliament Backs Paris Climate Goals


The European Parliament backed curbs on EU states’ emissions on Wednesday (June 14) to share the burden of the bloc’s Paris climate goals and forge ahead despite President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of the 195-nation pact.

It voted 534 to 88 in favour of binding national targets for slashing greenhouse gas emissions in sectors including transport, agriculture and waste management to achieve the bloc’s overall goal of emissions at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.

Taking the floor ahead of the vote, EU politicians reiterated disappointment over Trump’s decision and rejected his call to renegotiate what he called the “draconian” economic costs of a deal they pledged to implement without Washington.

In months of tough talks, deputies sought a compromise between ambitious climate measures and concerns among the bloc’s 28-member states over the economic strain of the requisite shift to low-carbon technology in big employment sectors.