Miriam Dalli: Paris climate deal should be honoured by all

Labour MEP Miriam Dalli has urged all signatories of the Paris climate deal to honour their commitments.

Speaking during a plenary speech in the European Parliament on the outcome of the latest climate talks held in Morocco, the Labour MEP said that leaders should honour the commitment taken through the Paris Agreement last year in order to turn words into actions.

“This is more so the case in face of the latest developments in the US and the election of Donald Trump,” she said.

Pointing out that the Marrakesh climate talks (COP22) held last week served to underline that there is no turning back on clean energy transition, she said “the message is loud and clear. If one party thinks that it should pull out of the Paris deal, the other countries will step up the pressure.”

Dalli added that leaders around the globe need to understand that fighting climate change “is an urgent duty and that the world needs to act as one.”

She criticised the speed of implementation which until now was very inconsistent, saying that “changes in the real world are happening faster than the speed with which governments are acting in negotiations.”

During the Plenary session held in Strasbourg, Dalli also intervened on the National Emissions Ceiling Directive, known as the Air Quality Directive calling for more ambition and the proper legislative tools to reach long-term objectives. 

 “Air pollution knows no distance nor does it know national or European boundaries. This is our citizens’ health we are dealing with and Member States should do more to reach long term objectives. Full compliance is expected from all Member States, to ensure that our right to clean air is protected and safeguarded,” Dalli said.

 The revised NECD includes binding emission targets for 2030 on five pollutants including Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The EU Council blocked a range of measures including emission targets for methane and binding interim targets for 2025.