This Monday, the environmental association Zero released the conclusions of the new report drawn up as part of the European project ‘LIFE Together 1.5’.
Aligning the European Union with the Paris Agreement in terms of reducing emissions provides benefits of one billion euros by 2030 and 16 billion euros in the case of Portugal, according to Zero.
This Monday, the environmental association released the conclusions of the new report drawn up as part of the European project ‘LIFE Together 1.5’, whose consortium is made up of Zero.
The study shows that adopting a trajectory compatible with the Paris Agreement, i.e. global warming of no more than 1.5°C, could save the European Union at least one trillion euros by 2030, the equivalent of around four times Portugal’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
The study also mentions “a dangerous gap between this trajectory and the trajectory on which current public policies are putting the EU”, and Zero therefore argues that this issue should be at the heart of the political debate in this year’s European elections.
“It’s not just a moral duty, but a pragmatic choice”
Zero and its consortium partner organizations believe that protecting “citizens and the planet from the devastating impacts of climate change is not just a moral duty, but a pragmatic choice”.
The report quantifies the benefits in terms of health, employment, cost of living, well-being, energy security and resources provided by climate action in line with the 1.5°C trajectory, i.e. a reduction in EU emissions in absolute terms of at least 65% by 2030, compared to the current target of 55 to 57%.
According to Zero, the benefits far outweigh the costs, presenting an economic argument for a comprehensive transition that should convince the most skeptical policymakers.
16 billion in economic benefits
The study shows that making emissions in Portugal compatible with 1.5°C would bring more than 16 billion euros in economic benefits to the country by 2030 and prevent more than 1,300 premature deaths every year.
"In Portugal there is a critical sector that has been increasing its emissions, going in the opposite direction to meeting the targets set in the national plans, representing a higher percentage of national emissions every year - transport," says the environmental association, recalling that the transport sector was responsible for almost a third of the country's greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, with important consequences for air quality, noise and public health.According to the environmental association, although the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the economy is not yet aligned with the 1.5 °C of the Paris Agreement and there are other sectors with emissions that also need special attention, given the representativeness of the transport sector it is a priority to put together a set of effective measures and put them into practice in this sector.
A new emissions reduction target for 2040
Zero refers to the informal meeting, this Monday and Tuesday in Brussels, of the environment ministers of the member states to discuss the need to increase climate ambition in Europe, including a new emissions reduction target for 2040, considering that the leaders should take these conclusions into account.
The association also says that it has appealed to Portuguese minister Duarte Cordeiro to give priority to “truly progressive climate action, aligned with science, the economy and social impacts”.