Climate campaigners are suing the EU over its climate ambitions, saying they are “alarmingly off-track” from the 1.5°C limit of the Paris Agreement.
According to Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), European executives have set “unlawful annual emission limits” by 2030 for a number of key industries across the continent. These include the buildings, agriculture, waste, small industry and transport sectors that cover an estimated 57% of total greenhouse gas emissions from the 27 member countries.
The lawsuit, which was originally filed earlier this year, has been fast-tracked ahead of an oral hearing in 2025.
The NGOs have also called on EU decision-makers to accelerate climate action and take actions that would enable a 65% gross emission reduction by 2030.
Gerry Liston, a senior lawyer with GLAN, said: “The European Court of Human Rights made clear in April that states are obliged to adopt science-based emissions targets consistent with limiting...