Leaders agree 2050 climate neutrality – without Poland

EU leaders claimed to have reached a solid agreement on achieving climate-neutrality by 2050 early on Friday morning (13 December), but Poland refused to endorse the target – meaning there was no unanimous consensus at the crucial EU summit for climate action.

“We have reached an agreement on climate change,” said the new president of the European Council, Belgium’s Charles Michel, adding that “for one member state, it is necessary to take more time to implement this objective” adding that he hoped to bring Poland on board in June 2020.

“We took this decision with respect for many concerns of different countries because we know that it is important to take into consideration the different national circumstances, and also different starting points,” Michel told reporters.

The decision follows the unveiling of the new European Green Deal by the EU Commission on Wednesday, which includes a climate law based on a climate-neutrality target for 2050. But member states will only have to reach a qualified majority to pass it into law.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 is essential to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees – the main objective of the UN Paris Agreement.

However, Poland had tried to postpone the date to 2070 earlier on Thursday.

Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that the negotiations were “very difficult” and that his country will be “reaching climate neutrality at its own pace”.