Two non-governmental organizations, CAN Europe and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), On August 27, they announced that they were suing the European Union for what they say is insufficient action to combat climate change.
According to a joint statement by the organizations, they criticize the EU's carbon reduction targets by 2030 in the construction, agriculture, waste, small industry and transport sectors.
"The EU's overall climate ambitions remain alarmingly short of the 1.5 degrees Celsius target set by the 2015 Paris climate accords," : the groups said, meaning to prevent warming from falling further than that compared to 1990 levels.
CAN Europe and GLAN believe the EU's target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 is insufficient.
“The EU must accelerate emissions reductions and achieve at least a 65 percent cut by 2030,” said Sven Harmeling, head of CAN Europe's climate department.
In their complaint, the groups also said they wanted the European Commission to reduce emissions levels allowed for agriculture, transport and other sectors.
Since NGOs cannot directly bring cases to the Court of Justice of the EU, the case was filed through a special administrative procedure that opened in February. Now, as specified, the plaintiffs have provided the court with a second package of written arguments.
Prepared by: Nina Petrovich