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The European Parliament has adopted stricter rules against energy waste and air pollution by an overwhelming majority (486 – 132 votes). As a result, not only will agriculture or livestock farming be allowed to emit less CO2, but old rented homes will also have to be insulated more quickly and cars will have to drive cleaner.
The decision of the European Parliament amounts to a tightening of the Fitfor55 proposals that Climate Commissioner Frans Timmermans proposed two years ago. It has now become clear that the EU countries will not achieve their goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, and that adjustments must be made in the meantime.
With the package of three environmental and energy laws that has now been adopted, the European Parliament also responds to the criticism that many climate laws mainly ended up on the plate of EU agriculture. The CO2 emissions from car traffic are now also being tackled more stringently, after shipping had already been brought under the 'climate system'.
A decision on reducing air pollution from large livestock farms is expected at a meeting of the environment ministers later this week.
The European Parliament has now also determined its position on energy standards for buildings. This obliges EU countries to renovate old buildings and make them more energy efficient. The Dutch MEP Bas Eickhout (GroenLinks), who led the negotiations, expressed his satisfaction with this outcome.
“Making all buildings in Europe more sustainable is a major challenge; at the same time, it is also one of the greatest opportunities to tackle not only energy poverty, but also our greenhouse gas emissions.”
The law must ensure that all buildings in Europe are climate neutral by 2050. To achieve this, the proposal is to gradually increase the minimum energy label. In addition, the installation of central heating boilers and stoves on gas must be prevented in new housing in the coming years. Because many objections are expected from house builders and from EU countries, the European Parliament proposes to do this in phases.
Given the enormous benefits of energy-efficient buildings, GroenLinks wants the EU to release extra money to realize this as quickly as possible and to make it as accessible as possible for people with lower incomes.
Now that Parliament's position is clear, negotiations can begin with EU countries, which already took their position earlier. This is expected to lead to a definitive European law before the end of the year that will make buildings more sustainable.
