Publication

This commentary discusses the targets and climate policy set by the EU prior to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference, which will take place in December 2015. More specifically, the author focuses on 1) the EU Council of Environmental ministers' announcement in March 2015 that the EU's official contribution to the ongoing climate talks is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Union to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030; and 2) the European Commission's proposal for the design of the new international climate agreement and what considerations EU member states will need to take into account when deciding whether to adopt the Commission's proposal. The author also discusses the target proposals of other countries and what role France and the EU will play in being the host of the December conference.