GLASGOW, Nov 1 (Reuters) – Countries must put a price on the carbon dioxide emissions causing climate change, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the United Nations COP26 summit on Monday.
Von der Leyen joined leaders from more than 100 countries in Glasgow for the start of the COP26 conference, which will attempt to finish the rules to implement 2015’s Paris Agreement.
“We need to agree to a robust framework of rules, for example, to make global carbon markets a reality. Put a price on carbon, nature cannot pay that price anymore,” she said.
Talks on designing a market to trade carbon emissions reductions under the Paris accord derailed the last U.N. climate summit in 2019, with countries squabbling over how the system would count towards their national climate targets.
“We have to give strong commitments to reduce emissions by 2030. Net zero by 2050 is good, but it’s not enough,” she said.
Its proposals include phasing out sales of new combustion engine cars by 2035, and launching a second EU carbon market for the buildings and transport sector.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis used COP26 to attack what he called the EU’s “dangerous” climate proposals.
