European Union (EU) leaders of Austria, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain attending the UN climate summit on Monday recognised further climate action was necessary to reach the 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature goal set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

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Speaking at the high-level segment of the two-week long UN climate negotiations, known as COP24, Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte committed to increase his country's climate target to 55 per cent emission cuts by 2030.

He favoured to encourage all other European Union (EU) countries to adopt the same target for the whole bloc.

Leaders of Austria, Finland, Luxembourg and Spain also recognised the need to increase the level of ambition of the Paris Agreement pledges by 2020.

They stated their support for achieving net zero emission by 2050. They also highlighted the joint declaration demanding more climate ambition signed by 18 EU countries.

Reacting to this development, Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe Director Wendel Trio told IANS in a statement: "Several EU leaders have added momentum for a successful outcome of COP24."

"It's positive to see that they recognise the urgency to sign up to more ambitious targets to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Now they need to show that they mean business and commit the EU to massively increase its targets.

"To have a good chance of keeping temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the EU's 2030 target must be increased even beyond the 55 per cent reduction the Netherlands have called for."

The Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe is Europe's leading NGO coalition fighting dangerous climate change.

With over 150 member organisations from 35 European countries, representing over 1,700 NGOs and more than 40 million citizens, the CAN Europe promotes sustainable climate, energy and development policies throughout Europe.

First Published:Dec 4, 2018 5:36 AM IST