German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she welcomes the proposal by the European Commission to raise the bloc’s greenhouse gas reduction target for 2030 to between 50 and 55 percent. In her speech at the 11th Petersberg Climate Dialogue, held online, she strongly advocated for CO₂ pricing mechanisms within the EU, but also beyond. The chancellor and UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated that any coronavirus recovery programme should have a clear focus on climate targets. Environmental NGOs welcomed Merkel’s support for a more ambitious target, but said they had hoped for more concrete proposals on the path forward.

Further information: https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/merkel-endorses-proposal-raise-2030-eu-emission-reduction-target