The European Commission published yesterday (28th January) its proposal for an international climate agreement in the lead up to Copenhagen. Let’s start with the good news: 350 ppmv is mentioned right at the beginning where the need for gearing the Copenhagen conference towards the latest science is mentioned. But the targets the EU sets itself to reach this are nothing new: 20% by 2020 in case the EU will go alone and 30% by 2020 in case of international cooperation. Next to ambitious reduction targets the proposal misses another crucial piece: real financial commitment for mitigation and adaptation measures in the Global South.
Can this be good enough? Probably not. And as 350 organizers and European youth activists already stated at last year UN climate talks in Pozan leadership looks different. Without ambitious reduction targets for EU member states it is unlikely that the next UN climate talks will produce a treaty that will enable us to go back to 350 ppmv any time soon. So let’s make sure that the EU institutions won’t forget the number 350 in the run-up to Copenhagen and build a strong 350 movement in Europe.