Choosing between stagnation and change – Why the EU must now raise its 2020 climate target

If EU27 adheres to its current unilateral climate target of 20 percent less than 1990 emission levels by 2020, it would send out a weak signal both to the international community and to the actors involved. Doing so would, in fact, be tantamount to a step back and call the credibility of the EU’s climate change mitigation efforts into question, for even the EU’s own projections show that this would remove any incentive for continuing those efforts. Raising the EU 2020 climate target is therefore crucial, with regard to both, efforts within the EU and vis-à-vis the international community. That is why EU27 must now raise its 2020 climate target to a reduction of 30 percent by 2020 compared to 1990.