EU makes too little of its ambitious goals / No collapse of the negotiations despite international crises and high energy prices / First steps on Loss and Damage are unsatisfactory - as largest emitter does not participate

"For me, the overall result is disappointing," commented Dr. Peter Liese (CDU), the spokesperson for environmental policy of the largest group in the European Parliament after the Sharm El-Sheikh climate summit. "It has not been possible to bring the states of the world on a course that avoids dangerous tipping points in the climate system. To do this, we would have to get well below 2 degrees, as agreed in Paris. This goal is increasingly out of reach. The final document says something about 1.5 degrees, but I lack the imagination to see how we can still achieve that. Nevertheless, it is right to continue pushing for climate protection. Every ton of CO₂ we save reduces the risk of dangerous tipping points," Liese explained.

"It is positive that the climate process has not collapsed despite the current international crises and high energy prices. Also, having the U.S. and China talking to each other again on climate change issues allows for progress in the future. The agreement on Loss and Damage is not a historic breakthrough for me because much still needs to be clarified. Above all, I find it disappointing that the largest emitter in the world, namely China, is not standing by its responsibility."

"The European Union is achieving too little of its ambitious climate targets. If you convert to per capita emissions, our 2030 target is much more ambitious than any other major emitters. For example, the U.S., if it meets its target, will still have 2.5 times the per capita emissions of Europe if we meet our target. We managed to increase the climate target from 55% to 57% by reaching an agreement on land, use, and forests. However, in my view, the negotiations were not well enough prepared by Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans.

In discussions with the Chinese chief negotiator Xie Zhenhua, the name John Kerry came up very often. The name Frans Timmermans came up only once. Apparently, the Americans have been much stronger than the European Union in the informal negotiations of recent months. This strengthens our group's demand to install a true high-ranking European climate envoy. We need a European John Kerry because international climate policy can not be a part-time job," the MEP demanded.