As the EU kicked off a high level event onthe EU Strategy long term emissions reductions the Dutch reached an Agreement on their Climate ambitions by 2030 on July 10, 2018 for the five topsectors that will need to reducue 49% or 48.7 bln ton of CO2:
Germany achieved a reduction of 347 million tonnes CO2 eq., or 27.7 percent, on 1990 emission levels by 2017. Rita Scharzeluehr-Sutter de German Environment state secretary indicated in her speech that preliminary calculations by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) published in March 2018 showed a slight dip in emissions in 2017. The EU emissions were 4,3 bln tons in 2016.
Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, secretary general Hydrogen Europe called for a EU-wide 40GW Electrolyser Initiative, an idea that has been developed by TU Delft in cooperation with the Nordic Innovation Board in the Netherlands. Hydrogen Europe also indicated the EU North Sea Baltic corridor as the H2 corridor along which a hydogen production and distribution infrastucture could be developed. The EHA submitted for this purpose a propsal last December for a coordinated hydrogen action under the TEN T Flagship Project programme.
Laurent Fabius, president of COP21 closed the meeting saying that “it is an excellent idea for the EU to develop an idea for a modern clean economy…. the red light is on. Avoid the negative news but focus on the positive!”