EU to ask top diplomat to ramp up action on climate

BRUSSELS • European Union foreign ministers will call on the bloc's top diplomat to scale up efforts on climate change this year to help clinch tougher emissions-cutting goals from individual countries, said a draft document that was due to be adopted yesterday.

Nearly 200 countries had agreed at the United Nations COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, last year to set tougher emissions reduction targets in time for the next summit this November.

The aim is to bridge the gap between countries' pledges and the far faster emissions cuts needed this decade to stop the world heating beyond 2 deg C or 1.5 deg C above pre-industrial levels, which scientists say would unleash disastrous climate consequences.

Foreign ministers from EU countries will urge the bloc's most senior diplomat, high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell, to scale up climate diplomacy, according to a draft of their meeting conclusions.

The EU struck climate deals last year including an US$8.5 billion (S$11.4 billion) agreement with the United States and other countries to help South Africa phase out coal faster - a deal seen as a possible blueprint for climate funding in other countries.

The draft said the EU should explore other partnerships before COP27 with countries heavily reliant on coal power generation or mining.

EU countries and the European Parliament will this year negotiate a raft of new policies to cut EU emissions more quickly.

REUTERS