China to Face European Demands for Tougher Climate Goals

(Bloomberg) --

The European Union will press China to toughen its climate goals in three areas when both sides hold a high-level meeting on Monday, according to officials in Brussels.

The EU wants Chinese greenhouse-gas emissions to peak by 2025 instead of the country’s target date of 2030, two officials told reporters on Friday on the condition of anonymity. The bloc also wants China to commit to climate neutrality by 2060 and to stop building coal-fired power plants at home and financing them abroad, the people said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to hold a Sept. 14 video conference with Charles Michel, who chairs meetings of EU leaders; Ursula von der Leyen, who leads the European Commission; and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, which holds the 27-nation bloc’s rotating presidency.

The EU is seeking to remain a leader in the fight to counter the more frequent heat waves, storms and floods caused by climate change and prodding other big emitters such as China to toughen their policies. Von der Leyen’s commission, the EU’s executive arm, is set to propose that the bloc deepen its 2030 target for slashing greenhouse to 55% from a current goal of 40%, compared with 1990 levels.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.