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Speech given recently (12 December 2020) by President von der Leyen at the Climate Ambition Summit.

"Check against delivery"

Dear guests of the Climate Ambition Summit!

55% – That is now indeed Europe's calling card. I am glad that the 27 European Leaders have signed up to the European Commission's proposal for taking climate action to a new level of ambition. Together with the agreement on our next 7-year-budget, the 55% agreement is the go-ahead for scaling up climate action across our economy and society.

We have already started. From boosting renewable energy, creating hydrogen valleys and producing the most sustainable batteries to launching a wave of building renovation, decarbonising transport and protecting and restoring our nature. We are serious about getting our economy on a more sustainable path.

But this is not a task for Europe alone. Europe only accounts for less than 10% of global emissions. Climate change is more than a European issue. It is a human issue. And today, there is a global movement for climate action. A movement that counts on powerful nations but also on countless cities, NGOs, people of good will. Europe wants to contribute to the movement and make it grow.

We want to work with all those who agree that we must put a price on carbon. We are ready for more ambitious commitments with like-minded countries. We are supporting developing countries, to help them decouple their emissions and their economic growth. Just like we are doing in Europe. 

And it is more than cutting emissions. It is about green finance. It is about restoring biodiversity. It is about a new circular economy that creates jobs and prosperity while preserving nature. Many things have to change, so that our planet can remain the same for the next generation. 55% is Europe's contribution on the road to Glasgow. Let us walk this road together!

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