EU to Fight ‘Paralysis’ on Emissions at COP28, Spain’s Ribera Says

As the European Union gears up for a tough fight at the COP28 climate talks in Dubai, a top negotiator says the bloc is in a better position than a year ago, when it was accused of hypocrisy and backsliding for firing up coal power plants following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

While coal still plays a role in its energy mix, the EU has managed to deploy record amounts of green technology, helping reduce its dependence on Russian fossil fuels. It has implemented the European Commission’s climate measures so successfully that it is on track to cut emissions at least 57% by 2030 from 1990 levels, exceeding its original target of 55%, said Teresa Ribera, Spain’s environmental transition minister.