‘Our house is on fire': EU parliament declares climate emergency

The European parliament has declared a global “climate and environmental emergency” as it urged all EU countries to commit to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Climate protesters outside the EU parliament in
Brussels demand it declares a climate emergency.

The vote came as scientists warned that the world may have already crossed a series of climate tipping points, resulting in “a state of planetary emergency”.

Intended to demonstrate Europe’s green credentials days before a crucial UN climate conference in Madrid, the vote also ratchets up pressure on Ursula von der Leyen, the incoming president of the European commission, who declared this week that the EU would lead the fight against “the existential threat” of the climate crisis.

Read the story from The Guardian by Jennifer Rankin - “‘Our house is on fire': EU parliament declares climate emergency.”

European Parliament to vote on declaring climate emergency

BRUSSELS - The European Parliament is preparing to vote on Thursday, November 28 on a resolution to declare a climate emergency in Europe and on a global level, based on a proposal by the liberals of the Renew Europe (RE) group.

The Conference of Presidents has put the text on the agenda of its plenary session next week in Strasbourg.

"The next five years must be a game changer for our climate," said RE President Dacian Ciolos.

He said the first 100 days of the next European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen "will be critical to deliver the right level of ambition for the Green Deal" of Europe. "Tabling this motion to declare a climate emergency in Europe, we send a clear signal: The Green Deal will not only be a list of regulations, it's a project for our generation, where Europe needs to show leadership and make a real difference to the health, environment and livelihoods of our citizens”.

Read the ANASMED story - “European Parliament to vote on declaring climate emergency.”