European Green Deal

A European Green Deal: Striving to be the first climate-neutral continent

To overcome the climate change and environmental degradation challenges, Europe agreed on a new growth strategy that will transform it into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where:

  • there are no more net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050
  • economic growth is decoupled from resource use
  • no person and no place is left behind

Source: EuObserver

According to the European Commission, the European Green Deal is the EU roadmap for making the EU's economy sustainable by turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities across all policy areas and making the transition just and inclusive for all.

As the recognized representative of the European metals and minerals mining industry covering more than 42 different metals and minerals and employing 350.000 directly and about four times as many indirectly, Euromines welcomes a European Green Deal to put Europe on the right track to a sustainable future and ensure that no one is left behind and is prepared to take all the necessary measures to make Europe the world's first climate neutral continent.

However, the Green Deal will only be successful if all Europeans are part of it, including our industry. In these circumstances, in an asymmetric world, with unpredictable global energy policies and fragmented prices on GHG emissions, the EU mineral raw material sector, competing at local, national and international levels, mainly on costs strongly believes that the Green Deal should also ensure that  its international competitiveness is not undermined and it will not face any significant loss in market share and profit margins to competitors who do not face similar carbon costs abroad.

 

The European Climate Law

The Commission’s proposal for the first European Climate Law aims to write into law the goal set out in the European Green Deal – for Europe’s economy and society to become climate-neutral by 2050. This means achieving net zero emissions for EU countries, mainly by cutting emissions, investing in green technologies, and protecting the natural environment.

Euromines welcomes a Climate Law aiming to assess what would be required to have a more balanced reduction pathway from 2020 to 2050 and to specify what is necessary when increasing the GHG emissions reduction targets by 2030 and is prepared to take the necessary actions aimed at turning Europe into the world's first climate neutral continent. At the same time, we believe that the Climate Law should form the basis of a stable, coherent, socio-economically feasible policy framework allowing the implementation of most efficient measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring that long-time goals and the international competitiveness of the industry is not endangered. In this context, one of the main purposes of the Climate Law should be to ensure an integrated approach to consistency, stability, and predictability along the whole value chain.

Download: Euromines Position with regards to the Climate Law

 

2030 Climate Targets Plans

The EU aims to become climate-neutral (net zero greenhouse gas emissions) by 2050. To achieve this, it will propose a cut in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 50% to 55% for 2030 from 1990 levels, rather than at least 40% currently, including an amendment to the recently proposed European Climate Law.

The initiative will also assess:

  • the economic, social and environmental impacts of an updated increase in the 2030 climate targets
  • potential list of policy measures needed to reach an updated 2030 climate target.

Euromines believes that efforts, climate ambitions and targets should be aligned with the fundamental principle of sustainable development, ensure the essential current needs and safeguard the needs of future generations while contributing to the economic, social and environmental development. Therefore, the 2030 Climate Target Plan should carefully assess how to increase the ambition in a manner that best contributes to sustainable and inclusive growth and enhances economic competitiveness through accelerating innovation and developing Europe’s industry. Climate transition and competitiveness must go hand in hand. It is crucial that in the transition to become climate neutral, the industry can maintain and even improve competitiveness. It is our strong conviction that when setting the 2030 climate targets, a consistent, stable and predictable value chain approach should also be guaranteed by considering the following aspects:

  • a feasible 2030 climate target level
  • a systemic approach along integrated value chains
  • time
  • investments in low-carbon products and technologies
  • the EU Green Deal policy mix

Download: Euromines position on 2030 Climate Targets Plan