Statement by President von der Leyen on the occasion of the visit of U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Kerry to the weekly meeting of the College of Commissioners. https://www.eudebates.tv/debates/eu-policies/economy/european-partnerships-show-new-ways-in-green-and-digital-transition/ A very warm welcome, my dear John, to the College of Commissioners,
Good to see you again, but good to see you for the very first time as the United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. It is wonderful to have you here. It is wonderful to have a good friend back in the European Union. And it is wonderful to know that we have a friend again in the White House.
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Special Envoy for Climate, you see here a College of Commissioners and of Vice-Presidents who are working hard on our European Green Deal. A bit more than a year ago, in December 2019, we agreed, together with 27 Member States – Heads of State or Government –, to commit to the goal to be in 2050 the first climate neutral continent. And you know, of course, with an ambition comes a roadmap, come different milestones in between. Now, we have set the goal in 2030 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55%. And behind this dry number is an enormous amount of work, and effort, and transformation.
And therefore, we were of course delighted when we saw President Biden, on his first day in office, joining again the Paris Climate Agreement. And last Friday, I had the pleasure and the honour to have a phone call with President Biden. And it was music to my ear to hear the way he described to me how the United States are moving towards the common goal to become climate neutral and to put it in a frame where I am convinced, and this College is convinced, that is the right way to go.
Just to describe that new growth strategy for our economies, it is a lot of innovation behind it. There is a lot of new technologies behind it. And this combination of innovation, resources we put in, of course people who expect us to improve on that, is a fascinating one. It is a lot of work we have to do together but it is the right way to go. And of course, as Europeans, we are aware of the fact that we have to contribute to the common cause. But we cannot do it alone. And therefore to have you at our side, as friends and allies, is enormously important for us.
Another point that struck me during this pandemic is: When we speak about climate change, we are often speaking about melting glaciers, or desertification, or extreme weather situations. All these topics are well known. But this pandemic also taught us that one of the breeding grounds for this pandemic is the loss of biodiversity and the complex world behind it.
And we see now the widths of consequences climate change brings along and the urge and the necessity for us to really move forward rapidly. We have an ambitious roadmap ahead of us this year.
