The European Union sees the will of an agreement between the two countries to reach an agreement on climate

Glasgow, 11 November (EFE). – The European Commission’s Executive Vice President for the Green Charter, Frans Timmermans, said Thursday that he sees political will to reach an agreement that advances the Paris Agreement to curb climate change.

“I think there is a positive dynamic,” Timmermans said at a news conference at COP26 in Glasgow. “I see a growing sense among leaders that an agreement must be reached.”

The vice chair of the community, in particular, emphasized the importance of improving financing to help vulnerable countries adapt to climate change and not just reduce emissions.

Timmermans said it was important that “adaptation has more weight on the agenda” because “adaptation and mitigation are two sides of the same coin” and “mitigation – measures to contain global warming – is not enough”.

He stressed that the European Union and its member states had “committed in recent days two-thirds of the nearly $800 million that has been allocated to the Adaptation Fund” and called on others to follow this path.

European Union criticism

Asked about some of the criticism about the EU’s alleged low ambition in the negotiations, Timermans noted that “the EU has nothing to be ashamed of” and called for EU efforts to be judged by results here and not by people not here who think they see or don’t see “.

“I am very proud of my team of negotiators” and “all of the (society) ministers who are working very actively trying to find solutions,” the deputy commissioner added.

As for whether the EU should show more climate ambition, he noted that the societal bloc had committed by law to reduce its emissions by 55% in 2030 and decarbonize its economy in 2050.

“We want to do more, but we’re asking other big exporters to do that as well,” he said.

Timmermans has also been questioned about the Commission’s intention to fund gas infrastructure with European money, which he does not see as inconsistent with the goal of ditching fossil fuels, since these pipelines will serve to transport sources such as “clean hydrogen”, once that technology has a commercial development.

For his part, Conservative German MP Peter Lissi, representing the European Parliament delegation, particularly appreciated South Africa’s commitment to decarbonize its economy by 2050.

Lis said of this great economy that he signed with the European Union and the governments of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, a pioneering alliance that seeks “many other countries can take South Africa as an example”. Mobilizing “8,500 million dollars (about 7,341 million euros) to eliminate 1.5 million gigatons of carbon dioxide in the next 20 years. EFE

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