Context:

Climate Action Network and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) have filed a lawsuit against the European Commission arguing that the EU's emission targets are inadequate to meet the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C warming limit.

Background 

• They urge EU decision-makers to enhance climate action and go beyond the inadequate level of ambition of the Fit for 55 legislative package, thus enabling steep emission reductions in the short term and achieving at least 65% gross emission reductions by 2030.
• They claim that the EU's annual emissions allocations violate environmental laws and international commitments, including the Paris Agreement, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
• A hearing at the General Court is expected in the second half of 2025, with a ruling likely in early 2026. 
• The 'Fit for 55' package: Aims to achieve the European Climate Law’s goals: climate neutrality by 2050 and a 55% reduction in net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

About Paris Agreement

• It is a legally binding climate treaty adopted by 196 Parties at UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris on December 12, 2015, and effective from November 4, 2016. 
• Its main goal is to keep global warming well below 2°C, aiming for 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Emphasis on 1.5°C: 

• The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that exceeding 1.5°C could lead to more severe climate impacts, such as frequent and intense droughts, heatwaves, and heavy rainfall.

How the Paris Agreement Works

Five-Year Cycle of Ambition: 

• It works on a five-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action or ratcheting up, carried out by countries. 

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): 

• Since 2020, countries have been submitting their climate action plans, called NDCs. 
• Each new NDC is expected to show greater ambition than the previous one, reflecting a stronger commitment to climate action.

Long-Term Strategies:

• Long-Term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS): Countries are encouraged to create and submit LT-LEDS, which offer a long-term perspective on emission reductions. 
• Although not mandatory, LT-LEDS help frame NDCs within broader national planning and development goals, providing direction for future climate action.

Issues with Current Targets

• Science-Based Targets: The European Court of Human Rights has emphasized that emissions targets must be based on the latest climate science. Activists claim the EU’s targets lack this scientific basis.
• Internal Review Request: GLAN and CAN-Europe submitted Request for Internal Review (RIR) of the ‘Annual Emissions Allocations (AEA)’ set by the European Commission for individual member states.  This request was denied in December 2023, leading to the current court case.