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, according to CLEW.

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.

Merkel said the European Commission had laid out the path to greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050 with the Green Deal. “We know it is going to be a long road and that is why I welcome the interim target proposal for the European Union to reduce emissions by 50 to 55 percent by 2030 over 1990 levels.”

The chancellor said a comprehensive package of measures, including investments in climate-friendly infrastructures and appropriate CO2 pricing would be necessary.