EU declares climate emergency

News: The European Union (EU) has approved a resolution declaring a climate and environmental emergency in Europe and globally. It has thus become the first multilateral bloc to declare a climate emergency.

Facts:

• Climate emergency is a call for governments across the world to change their behaviour towards the climate and biodiversity.
• EU Resolution on Climate emergency calls for EU to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030 to become climate neutral by 2050.
• It calls to reduce global emissions from shipping and aviation.
• It states that EU countries should at least double their contributions to the international Green Climate Fund.
• It urgently calls on all EU countries to phase out all direct and indirect fossil fuel subsidies by 2020.

Additional Information:

• The UK is the first national government to declare such an emergency. Ireland became the second country to declare climate emergency. Canada and Bangladesh has also declared climate emergency

European Union

• European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of comprising 28 European countries
• The EU was created by the Maastricht Treaty, which entered into force on November 1, 1993.
• The primary goals of the European Union are:

opromote peace, its values and the well-being of its citizens

ooffer freedom, security and justice without internal borders

osustainable development based on balanced economic growth and price stability,

oa highly competitive market economy with full employment and social progress, and environmental protection

• In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing the causes of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.