Imperative EU adopt cooperative approach to global climate action

In a major step toward the 27-nation bloc's goal of becoming carbon neutral by mid-century as required by the Paris Agreement, the members of the European Union struck a tentative deal on Wednesday to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent below the 1990 levels by 2040.

The agreement was clinched just ahead of the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which began in Belem, Brazil, on Thursday.

It must be pointed out that the flexibility attached to the deal allows EU members to buy foreign carbon credits to cover up to 5 percent of the 90 percent emissions-cutting goal by paying foreign countries to cut emissions on their behalf.

The deal also includes a clause that will allow the EU to adjust its 2040 target in the future if climate policy proves to have negative impacts on the EU's economy. In addition, the deal delays the implementation of the bloc's new carbon market for heating and automobile emissions for a year.

These concessions were added to those already made during technical talks in recent weeks, which include allowing heavy industry to emit more pollutants and adjusting the target downward if the EU's forests absorb less carbon dioxide than anticipated.

Yet despite the relatively slower, if not "purchased", progress it proposes to meet the Paris Agreement climate change target, the EU always sets a high standard for others and has pointed an accusing finger at China's recently announced 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions for what it alleges are insufficient efforts.

Shortly after China announced a detailed target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 7 to 10 percent from the peak by 2035 in September, the EU's climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra claimed that the target is "clearly disappointing".

He told the media last week "as much as I'm in the domain of diplomacy, there's no point in suggesting that this is somewhere in the ballpark of almost being good enough".

Such look-at-you rhetoric serves only to disrupt global solidarity in addressing climate change and undermines the atmosphere of China-EU cooperation in this regard.

While China, which faces a distinct set of challenges as it seeks to implement its domestic green policies, has signaled that it will enhance the verifiability of its climate actions and implement practical, enforceable policy instruments in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, the EU is watering down its climate ambitions and employing climate measures as trade protectionism.

It is the EU's use of such climate-related measures as a double-standard practice that is disappointing. These measures include carbon border adjustments, green subsidy criteria and low-carbon product certification. That represents a paradigm shift in which climate ambition is no longer confined to domestic regulation but extends to shaping international trade rules, investment conditions and supply-chain standards.

That explains why the EU has adopted seemingly contradictory policies when it comes to its green trade and technology cooperation with China. For example, despite the transition to green transportation being crucial for the EU, the bloc has still imposed hefty tariffs on imports of electric vehicles and other green products from China.

As the world grapples with the dual imperatives of economic growth and environmental stewardship, ultimately the path to a sustainable future hinges on the ability to foster innovation, collaboration and resilience. By embracing these principles, the EU can work with China to use technological advancements such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things and blockchain to optimize resource use, enhance data collection and analysis for better decision-making, and improve transparency in supply chains while opening new avenues for tackling climate change.

With the US administration having abrogated its climate action responsibilities, it is imperative that the EU join hands with China to maintain the climate governance system and propel collective efforts to address the climate emergency.

This includes engaging in dialogue to resolve disputes that arise from the implementation of new environmental measures, ensuring that they do not inadvertently create barriers to trade or hinder collaboration on climate action.