EU informs COP27 that it will increase its climate interests

By Yamini Sharma On Nov 15, 2022

The European Union intends to revise its Paris climate agreement emissions-cutting target. The upgrade is expected before next year’s United Nations summit, according to EU climate policy chief Frans Timmermans at the COP27 summit in Egypt.
An announcement by the world’s third largest polluter, after China and the United States, tries to persuade others that the EU is adhering to its commitments.
EU policymakers argue that increased use of fossil fuels is only temporary and point to plans to expand renewable energy.
However, the optics of burning more coal and funding projects to burn gas have caused some countries to complain about a retreat from green goals. At last year’s United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, nearly 200 countries agreed to update their climate targets for 2022.
This year’s confluence of crises, from European war to soaring inflation, has diverted many leaders’ attention away from the issue. Germany is among those racing to build gas infrastructure to import non-Russian fuel, despite pledging to stop funding foreign fossil-fuel projects.