Closing statement by the Finnish Presidency and the European Commission on behalf of the EU and its Member States at COP25 - Hoofdinhoud

The European Union and its Member States stand firm behind the Paris Agreement. We came to Madrid to wrap up the ‘Katowice rulebook' and to clear the path for raising ambition in 2020 at COP26 in Glasgow.

Since we arrived here, the World Meteorological Organisation has told us that the global average temperature reached 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels in 2019 concluding a decade of exceptional global heat, and hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to demand more ambitious climate action.

The EU i is deeply concerned by the recent UN reports confirming that, collectively, Nationally Determined Contributions submitted by Parties and current GHG emission trajectories fall far short of what is required to achieve the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement.

Whilst developed countries must continue to take the lead, it is vital that all Parties undertake and communicate ambitious efforts as part of an urgent global response, taking heed of the best available science.

It is important that COP25 sends an unequivocal message that all Parties will update their NDCs in a manner that reflects their highest possible ambition.

It is disappointing that after years of hard work and especially during the last two weeks that we could not agree on Article 6 providing incentives to reduce emissions now and in the future without undermining environmental integrity. We think, however, that we came much closer to agreement than previously, and this is something that we can build on in our future deliberation.

Besides, we are deeply concerned by the fact that we could not reach an agreement on transparency, despite the utmost importance of these issue for implementing Paris Agreement.

We are also happy that we managed to complete the second review of the Warsaw International Mechanism for loss and damage. This enables us thus to enhance our capacity to mobilize and catalyze effective action for averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with climate change impacts.

We want to mention one result of this COP that we warmly welcome, the new Gender Action Plan. It strengthens gender considerations and women's participation in climate action and highlights the important role of women as agents of change.

This COP was not only about negotiations. The multiple events under the Global Climate Action Agenda and the active participation by Non-Party stakeholders show that they are crucial allies in implementing the Paris Agreement. Their expertise and enthusiasm is valuable and we look forward to working with them in increasing ambition and action.

Dear President, Distinguished Ministers, Colleagues,

This COP did not deliver all of what we came here for. Despite all the energy and commitment of our negotiators, we did not reach an agreement on Article 6 and we have to say that we are disappointed. The European Union and it's Member States showed flexibility and open-mindedness until the last minute, including showing solidarity with positions of the most vulnerable countries. Yet there are some bridges that we just cannot cross if we are to maintain a credible position with our partners and with our citizens at home.

This very week we presented the European Green Deal i, a roadmap to embed climate action into all policies. We committed to climate neutrality by 2050. In this context we cannot support global rules which would undermine environmental integrity and take us back instead of taking us forward.

But, is not the end of the story. Now we need to look forward. Our task is more urgent than ever.

Next year must be the year of increasing ambition. By COP26 in Glasgow we need to update our NDCs and submit our Long-Term Strategies, in line with the Paris objectives. And in the European Union we are ready for this.

We cannot afford to leave anyone behind. We must make sure that the most vulnerable are supported in their efforts - that they are empowered and have the capacity to deal with the changes and find new and sustainable ways forward.The EU and its Member States already provide more than 40% of the global climate finance, and will continue to scale it up in line with the Paris Agreement goals.

We are firmly committed to the scale-up of global climate finance; to supporting developing countries, achieving the $100bn goal, and providing finance to the key funds under the Convention and Paris Agreement. We look forward to the commencement of deliberations on the post-2025 goal at COP26, to submitting information - in line with Article 9.5 of the Paris Agreement - on our finance beyond 2020 next year, and to taking further action to align global finance with the Paris Goals.

People are calling for action, and they are taking action. This week the European Union responded to these calls, and stepped up our ambition. Next year, we will continue to work with our partners to raise global ambitions and make sure that we all face head-on the urgent challenge of climate change.

We want to conclude by warmly thanking Chile for their efforts during the past weeks. Also thank you to Spain for making this meeting possible.