Brussels/Frankfurt, 20 September 2021 – On the occasion of the visit of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel to the United Nations, Thilo Brodtmann, VDMA Executive Director, says:

"The EU is sending an important signal on the international stage by presenting its plans for achieving greenhouse gas emissions reductions at the UN General Assembly. The fact that two high-ranking EU politicians, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel, are travelling to New York to inform the international community about Europe's climate plans is the right way to go. After all, Europe is taking on a pioneering role with its goal of climate neutrality by 2050.

The task now is to bring the EU's plans and the climate protection intentions of its international partners into joint action. An international climate club with ambitious targets can be one way for this. The EU must now do all it can to convince the international community to follow its lead. Europe is dependent on global cooperation for effective climate protection and to maintain European competitiveness. The EU can only push strong climate policy forward in a global context and in solidarity with industry. This includes paving the common path towards a single global carbon market and convincing the community of states of Europe's climate goals and measures at an early stage and bringing them along."