The 40% study

New study shows 40% emission cuts possible in Europe

A new study released by Stockholm Environment Institute in partnership with Friends of the Earth Europe proves for the first time that Europe could double its greenhouse gas emission reduction target for 2020.

The research shows how Europe can cut domestic emissions by 40% in 2020, and by 90% in 2050, compared to 1990 levels.

This is the minimum scale and speed of reductions science says is likely to be needed from rich countries to avert a climate catastrophe and would enable the European Union to live up to its historical responsibility for causing climate change.

The report estimates the costs of the scenario, and outlines the EU’s fair share of the finances needed for developing countries to fight climate change.

• Download the full SEI report: "Europe's Share of the Climate Challenge: Domestic Actions and International Obligations to Protect the Planet"

• Download the Friends of the Earth Europe summary: "The 40% study: Mobilising Europe to achieve climate justice"

The 40% Seminar in the European Parliament, 27th April 2010

This seminar will show that the EU can do a lot more to combat climate change than its current commitments, and needs to adopt stronger targets for emission reductions, as well as an overarching climate policy framework.

Download presentations:

• Charles Heaps, SEI, "Europe's Share of the Climate Challenge"
• Adrian Gault, UK Committee on Climate Change, "The UK Climate Change Act 2008"
• David Caro, FSB, "Keen to go Green - small businesses decarbonising their economy"
  
• Randall Bowie, EURIMA, "Why Deep Renovations are Essential to Achieving a 40% Target and Make Sense Economically" 
• Introduction from Corinne Lepage, MEP

This seminar was organised by Friends of the Earth Europe, working with members of The European People’s Party,  The Greens / European Free Alliance in the European Parliament, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats.

More info on the seminar | Seminar agenda

The 40% study: Mobilising Europe to achieve climate justice

"The 40% Study: Mobilising Europe to achieve climate justice" is Friends of the Earth Europe's summary of the main outcomes of the research. It also presents our interpretation of the implications of the study for EU policy-making and European society.

The challenge that we are facing today is enormous but the changes that would lead us to a decarbonised world can be overwhelmingly positive. The climate mitigation scenario that the Stockholm Environment Institute prepared for Friends of the Earth Europe envisages significant changes to the way we live our lives and organise our communities, but changes that put wellbeing and the futures of our children and grandchildren in the centre.

It envisions a highly-efficient economy powered by renewables. Food habits, transport, industry, housing, and the way we build our cities are all likely to change. Flying less, eating less meat, and reducing consumption in general are all part of this transformation allowing Europe to reduce its carbon and resource footprint without compromising on happiness which can be measured in terms of life satisfaction rather than GDP.

The challenge

Large areas of our world are already experiencing man-made climate change in the form of rising sea levels, melting glaciers, increasingly severe floods and droughts, and the resulting changes to agricultural patterns, threats to livelihoods, and conflicts over land, water and other resources. And climate change doesn’t stop at developing countries’ borders. In Europe the impacts of carbon addiction can already be observed in the form of heat waves, disappearing biodiversity and the need for new flood defences to protect low lying countries. Around the world, these challenges are felt most acutely by precisely those people who are least responsible for causing the problem of climate change and who have least access to resources and technology to adapt to the consequences and to act to reduce their emissions.

For the best chance of staying as far below 2°C average global temperature rise and escaping devastating climate change, developed nations including European Union member countries, must commit to emission cuts of at least 40% at home by 2020. Rich countries must take drastic action to reduce their emissions, and fast.

At the same time developing countries continue to face a poverty crisis no less severe than the climate crisis. Climate action must be built upon the right and need of these nations to develop – as industrialised countries have done – but this time in a clean, efficient and carbon-free way.

The findings prove for the first time that EU wide greenhouse gas emission reductions of at least 40% by 2020 and 90% in 2050 are indeed possible.

The results

Using detailed modeling the study describes a comprehensive pathway for Europe to achieve 40% emissions cuts through a combination of radical improvements in energy efficiency, the accelerated phase-out of fossil fuels, a dramatic shift towards renewable energies, and lifestyle changes.

Lifestyle changes envisaged by the study include a shift to public transport with only 43% of trips being made by car in 2050 compared to 75% in 2005. Such changes could make the carbon footprint of the average European 8 times smaller in 2050 than today.

For more details of the pathway, and what this would mean for sectors such as housing, transport, agriculture and electricty generation, download the Friends of the Earth Europe summary: "The 40% study: Mobilising Europe to achieve climate justice"

The Big Ask

Europe can cut its domestic emissions by 40% by the year 2020, and 90% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. In addition, by paying its fair share of the international mitigation obligation, it will live up to its historical responsibility for causing climate change. Justice can be done. Dangerous climate change can be averted. But the scale of the political challenge facing the European Union cannot be underestimated – a massive, brave shift in policy, and determination from EU politicians is needed and we need to ACT NOW.

Friends of the Earth Europe’s pan-European climate campaign – the Big Ask – is calling for:

• national climate laws with legally binding targets for annual emission cuts across all sectors
• direct penalties for EU member states which do not reduce their emissions year by year
• the EU to deliver its fair share of the finances and technology needed by developing countries to tackle climate change.

Annual targets will make it easier to measure progress towards medium and long-term emission reductions and ensure that these cuts start happening rapidly enough for global emissions to peak in the next five years. They will also create a positive and stable context for investment, allowing long term planning and innovation and ensuring a smooth transition to an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable economy.

National compliance mechanisms are needed to place appropriate sanctions on government departments, regions and sectors that fail to meet their targets. An EU-wide compliance mechanism is needed to penalise countries that fail to meet national targets.