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Climate Action
News article3 November 2014Directorate-General for Climate Action

EU Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete: "The science is clear. The time to act is now"

The European Commission welcomes the robust scientific evidence on climate change compiled by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its Fifth Assessment Report. This report brings together the scientific literature on climate change

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The European Commission welcomes the robust scientific evidence on climate change compiled by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its Fifth Assessment Report. This report brings together the scientific literature on climate change since its last report in 2007, and leaves policymakers with no doubt: The time to act is now.

One of the key priorities of the Juncker Commission is to reform and reorganise Europe's energy policy into a new resilient European Energy Union with a forward-looking climate change policy, as defined in President Juncker's Political Guidelines for the new European Commission.

Energy Union Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič said: "The scientific evidence of the IPCC report underlines more than ever the need for the EU to build a resilient Energy Union with a forward looking climate change policy, as entrusted to me by President Juncker."

Commenting on the report, EU Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete said: "Science has once again made the case clear, and the spotlight is now on us as policymakers. That's why in Europe we have done our homework by adopting ambitious 2030 targets. Now our global partners must follow suit and step up to the plate. Next month's climate talks in Lima must see all the countries make joint headway towards a new global agreement in Paris. The science is clear. The time to act is now."

Responding to this strong call for action the European Union adopted last month the 2030 climate and energy targets. This strengthens Europe's leadership and will make Europe more competitive, secure and sustainable. The key elements of EU action by 2030 are:

  • reducing EU domestic greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% below the 1990 level;
  • increasing the share of renewable energy to at least 27% of the EU's energy consumption;
  • increasing energy efficiency by at least 27%.

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Publication date
3 November 2014
Author
Directorate-General for Climate Action