Take action on climate change at .
With the ambitious goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050, the European Union has committed to creating a greener world for future generations. In this bold talk, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, details the challenges and opportunities that come with transitioning an entire continent to clean energy — and shows why fixing climate change calls for everyone to take action.
This talk was part of the Countdown Global Launch on 10.10.2020. (Watch the full event: .) Countdown is TED’s global initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis. The goal: to build a better future by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, in the race to a zero-carbon world. Get involved at
TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at
Dadmaxipad ;3
October 14, 2020 at 6:18 pm
Please let me move over there -3- 🙏
John
October 14, 2020 at 6:22 pm
Thought she was killery in the thumbnail for a second
Tooketsu Enshi
October 14, 2020 at 6:22 pm
Taking is sadly all this woman does.
Her politics are the absolut opposit. And only helps big Companys profit from it.
Mario van den Berg
October 14, 2020 at 6:26 pm
Ain’t gonna happen chief lmao
privat privat
October 14, 2020 at 8:18 pm
not if ur not broadening your consciousness no. come on dude! fiend the light in u! we are almost there. BELIEVE !
love from belgium!
Charlie KING
October 14, 2020 at 10:33 pm
@privat privat LOL ok chocolate girl
karl der kahle
October 14, 2020 at 7:03 pm
Die Ursula :0
Jiri Valek
October 14, 2020 at 7:17 pm
Oh, how I envy the UK! This lady is set to destroy the economy of EU, no matter the costs. She took the multi billion Euro know how developed in the Europe for generation (you guessed it right – the car industry) throwing it out of the window and putting all established companies on line with “start ups” from around the world. What she calls competitive green technology means that companies, that have budgets bigger than small nations, are begging and receiving grants and so are the wealthy people buying these green cars. The electric cars are really not accessible (too expensive) for people living in the east part of EU, but this does not matter, because she does not live there! She has absolute disrespect for the work and achievement of the generations truely building Europe from ashes and will bring misery to the lives of many millions by destroying one of the industry where EU was on top.
Kiyohshi
October 14, 2020 at 7:28 pm
First continent because three of the largest ones have continuously been exploited for centuries.
Couldn’t afford such a luxury of progress because of such setbacks throughout history.
Edu Schramel
October 14, 2020 at 7:35 pm
Excuse me!? Europe being the first carbon neutral continent? This is what I call, fake narrative, or its a joke?
What interests are behind this presentation?
Europe in general already have vanished the majority of its forests, have to buy food and products from other continents to maintain its own population… And this German lady, came and said that?
The majority of the Europe countrys use coal and oil has base for the energy sistem while tries to make the emergent countrys such as Africans and South American nations looks like big bad Monsters destroing the Nature and the whole earth, while you al ready have done that… Im sorry, but I do not buy this fake statements.
I applaude you, IF, only IF, you can show me a completly revolution in the European Union Nations towards a green future, but I think that the population of this countrys will not like it at all.
One good step, is learn with countrys like Brazil, who is the most suateinable country in the world, from energy sources to conservation of the forests, near 60% if not more of the country is still covered with native vegetation, all these things atached with a strong food production. The farms in Brazil are the best allies to the environment, and that is that feeds millions of the European people.
But there is no thank you, no learning from this countrys, this lady’s speech is only for narrative making, for status, that is do not showed in the real world, what matter for this kind of flat and ecofriendly words is makeup for the real business, dirty and not sustainable at all.
Go yourself to some parts of Amazon Forest, there you will find french People, asians, all “reasearches”. Diamonds, wood, medical specimens, Gold…. this is what they really are interested in.
Wake up people, do you really think that rich Nations want the good for everyone? For every country? They are making their business, money.
Making narratives to justify their actions to make more money! Using people who believe in the environmental heroic speech, but dont know about the underworld of the wealthy institutions, Nations and groups.
With that I dont want to be rude towards anyone, but is about time to people wake up and see the world as It is, for then change It, not depending on government, politicians or organizations.
The world is ours, beongs to every single human being, and our job is live with respect for every creature, every person, not matter the place, no matter the time.
Just be alert, the midia will not tell you the crimes against humanity and against the Earth her self, that they also are involved in.
Good bye. Salut. Até mais.
privat privat
October 14, 2020 at 8:10 pm
its time for u to open ur eyes and widen ur awareness and consciousness my fellow human.dont u se it? the world is changing….let go of the negative history we stuggled ourselves through, and follow the light ! 😀 watch this breath! and believe in the human specie once more! find the kid u were in yourself ! and u will se!
love from belgium!
Za Az
October 14, 2020 at 7:45 pm
Excellent talk. The minute she mentioned The Paris Accord, I again felt embarrassed to be in the US. In the year we withdrew… and while we’re in the middle of a SCJ nomination that will push us back even further.
privat privat
October 14, 2020 at 7:54 pm
climate change (and other issues i dont wanne go deeper into) are GLOBAL issues and a problem for mankind and the human specie. and as long as the big powerhouses like china,amerika,etc are not fully participating (putting there own gain and growth on the forefront) we still have a BIG problem.lets pray they also bend in and work towards a global civilization. love from belgium!
ayoub afryad
October 14, 2020 at 7:58 pm
ّ
Charlie KING
October 14, 2020 at 10:35 pm
Wow magic
Ant
October 14, 2020 at 8:13 pm
All carbon based lifeforms are a scourge on this planet and must be eradicated at once.
Robert Callaghan
October 14, 2020 at 8:21 pm
*4% of Mammals are Wild + 4% of Energy is Renewable + 2% of Energy is Solar & Wind*
Total greenhouse gases are up 45% in 30 years. 66% of us will live in water stressed areas by 2025. Water stress will threaten 50% of thermal power capacity. North Euro solar panels work 11% of the time. North Euro onshore wind turbines work 22% of the time. North Euro offshore turbines work 30% of the time. 4% of global energy is renewable. 2% of global energy is solar and wind. Electricity is 20% of total global energy. Fossil fuels have been 80% of global energy for over 25 years. 15% of global energy will be renewable by 2040. 30% of global energy will be renewable by 2050. The F-35 fighter jet works 10% of the time. Most solar panels will be un-recyclable garbage. We have to stop burning 50% of fossil fuels in 10 years to survive runaway habitat collapse and hothouse extinction.
Europe burns 50% of its renewable electricity
Europe burns 80% of the world’s wood pellets for “renewable” electricity
Europe burns 80% of its recycled plastic & paper for electricity
Europe burns 50% of its palm oil shipments in cars & trucks
Out of earth’s 1.2 billion vehicles only 6 million are electric
In 10 years the US cut emissions more than Europe just by switching from coal to gas
But fracking means we poison water and pump it underground
Weather = flash floods + flash fires + flash mobs + flash infections
Climate = 30 years of it
From 1971 – 2018 oceans took up 89% of the 358 zeta joules of net energy from the sun, ice took up 4% of it, land took 6% and the lower atmosphere only took 1%
From 1971 – 2018 solar heating averaged 0.47 watts/m²
From 2010 – 2018 heating went up to 0.87 watts/m² = dangerous acceleration
To force rapid heating back down from 0.87 w/m² we have to cut C02
from 410 ppm to 353 ppm – this is just to prevent rapid overheating
350 ppm CO2 is not low enough to get Earth’s energy imbalance under control
We have to go towards 300 ppm CO2 to be safe
*Mass Extinction Numbers*
500 years ago there were so many cod fish that John Cabot thought they would lift his ship out of the water
400 years ago there were more Caribbean sea turtles by weight than buffalo on the plains
300 years ago Passenger pigeon migrations would block out the noon day sun
97% of great fresh water species gone since 1970 ( Guardian 2019 )
96% of mammals are livestock and human by weight ( Ecowatch 2018 )
96% of tigers gone in 100 years ( IFL Science 2019 )
90% of elephants gone in 100 years ( Hurriet 2019 )
90% of lions gone in 100 years ( African Impact 2019 )
90% of Leatherback sea turtles gone since 1980 ( Earth Watch undated )
90% of Monarch Butterflies gone in 20 years ( Inhabitat 2014 )
80% of Antarctic Krill gone in 30 years ( Research Gate 2005 )
77% of Eastern lowland gorillas gone since 1996 ( Treehugger 2020 )
68% of world’s wildlife has been wiped out since 1970 ( Mongabay 2020 )
50% of Marine vertebrates gone since 1970 ( WWF 2015 )
50% of Great Barrier Reef gone since 1985 ( Live Science 2012 )
40% of Giraffes gone since 1990 ( NRDC 2019 )
40% less insects in next 30 years ( PNAS 2019 )
4% of mammals are wildlife ( Vegan News 2020 )
700 Marine Species Might Go Extinct Because of Plastic ( Green Planet 2019 )
500 vertebrate species of less than 1,000 individuals ( PNAS 2020 )
500 species of animal have gone extinct since 1900 ( RD 2019 )
Sources and a vast free use research library is available at Loki’s Revenge blog on wordpress, with a special emphasis on pollution and kids
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
The Daily Dose
October 14, 2020 at 8:37 pm
Nice move forward.
The Daily Dose
October 14, 2020 at 8:37 pm
Now if we could only get the rest of the world to follow through.
Charlie KING
October 14, 2020 at 10:35 pm
Daily dose of white powder
Ariki
October 14, 2020 at 8:42 pm
I’ll take “Things that won’t happen” for $1000.
Charlie KING
October 14, 2020 at 10:10 pm
$10000000
mindlesstube
October 14, 2020 at 10:10 pm
you realize most online returns go into the dump, we wast so much resources and cause tons of junk to build up in land fills that dont have too.
waotzi
October 14, 2020 at 10:12 pm
Why do people even follow this propaganda? In the end we might in Europe “manage” to just use renewable energy, but where do most resources come from? Not from europe. and where are they mostly processed? China. So even though we can make ‘clean’ statistics most tools we import in European countries will still come from ‘dirty’ energy and this will only increase over time if we do not fight against china. So this whole video is completely irrelevant if we actually want to improve Earth .
Charlie KING
October 14, 2020 at 10:38 pm
You ok? Without all the business why would China make those. You talking nonesence, you wanna change get rid of all the European companies and apple so on
Lab Momof2
October 14, 2020 at 10:49 pm
This is BS!
Silvan SkinAndMakeup
October 14, 2020 at 11:01 pm
Hey Uschi
Misha Bro
October 14, 2020 at 11:24 pm
All what is going on with the Biosphere is very heartbreaking. However, for instance Ukraine is the biggest country in European “continent”, and how would it be possible to become Carbon – neutral without working with east Europe? So far Europe is only storing its nuclear waste in Pripyat… So it is very vaguely worded, is European Union a separate continent?
WeAre Paramore
October 15, 2020 at 12:19 am
You should be, advance countries are the one of the largest contributor of carbon emission out there
milozach1
October 15, 2020 at 12:21 am
Ursula is still a babe at 62.
bollyblob
October 15, 2020 at 12:34 am
europe, and the european union, is not united neither politically nor economically, when you start with that premise you know the rest of the talk is a joke…also 50% reduction by 2030 is bold? like 90% is possible, so i would not dare say 50% is bold
Eddy T
October 15, 2020 at 1:03 am
Go EU. Switching will create new jobs and force adaptability while saving the planet. Meanwhile, US is heading in the other direction with trump.
Marathi Knowledge Village
October 15, 2020 at 1:13 am
मित्रांनो खालील बाबींवर मी YouTube चॅनल सुरू केले आहे .
◾️ Bestseller पुस्तकांचे मराठीतून सारांश
◾ रोजच्या जीवनात उपयोगी येईल असे ज्ञान
◾️ यशस्वी लोकांच्या प्रेरणादायी कथा व प्रसंग
◾ Personality Development साठी टिप्स व ट्रिक्स
तर चॅनलला सबस्क्राइब करा व मराठी भाषेला प्रोत्साहन द्या
👉
Tre Merritt
October 15, 2020 at 4:19 am
europe: colonizes everyone, exploits natural resources which ruins earth’s climate
europe: we’re gonna be the First carbon neutral continent 🤗
Tre Merritt
October 15, 2020 at 4:20 am
i did not watch the video and i will not
Fight MMA
October 15, 2020 at 6:43 pm
Europeans won the colonization war because we are great 😎💪.
can i?
October 15, 2020 at 4:21 am
there is no continent called europe
The Random Channel
October 15, 2020 at 4:37 am
Get ready for higher energy prices
Gabriel Perrin
October 15, 2020 at 6:28 am
I appreciate the initiative, really and I am proud to live in a place where our politicians care about future generations (in which I belong). But thinking that we will fight efficiently climate change through technology and green growth as Ms. Von der Leyen suggested is a clear evidence that European decision makers have not understood the problem they are dealing with. We cannot negotiate with the laws of physics. As long as our way to consume, eat, produce, travel and live will not be questioned, as long as a consensus on energy sobriety will not be reached by our society, as long as European gas and coal-fired power plants will be generating electricity, you can consider that the problem of climate change is not taken seriously.
Jiri Valek
October 15, 2020 at 8:58 am
In EU, we do not breach the laws of physics, we create them!
pace sole
October 15, 2020 at 6:35 am
……………………..
Rohit Gautam
October 15, 2020 at 6:57 am
Yeah this will really help in future when the world is fighting against the pollution
Lars Frölich
October 15, 2020 at 8:25 am
She has no idea what she’s talking about, and I have no idea how our democratic elections could have brought her in this position.
Fight MMA
October 15, 2020 at 6:42 pm
She is an unelected dictator.
IljaMinke
October 15, 2020 at 9:06 am
She can’t even handle to get her hairstyle carbon-neutral
Rewas Gautam
October 15, 2020 at 9:23 am
And just after Apple decided to remove chargers?
Zahlenteufel1
October 15, 2020 at 10:04 am
2050 is too late…
The Chad European Federalist
October 15, 2020 at 12:18 pm
It’s not too late if every country would have the same climate targets as the EU, i.e. a reduction of 60 % until 2030 and climate neutrality until 2050.
But unfortunately no other countries does.
China only wants to become climate neutral in 2060 and before that will increase its Co2 emissions.
The USA’s current government denies that climate change is a problem.
Russia also doesn’t care.
Roza roza
October 15, 2020 at 10:14 am
…..
Sina Madani
October 15, 2020 at 10:27 am
EU =/= Europe
Erika Mants
October 15, 2020 at 11:22 am
I wish we could involve more everyday people – I am not entirely familiar with Europe’s leaders but a lot of people in the comments don’t seem convinced. Though her voice is soothing and she does sound convincing I need more than these empty words from someone up in the ranks.
420 Skengdo
October 15, 2020 at 11:27 am
Just wondering, how are we supposed to live in a carbon 0 Continent? It would mean we can’t breathe🤣 ohh and then plants can’t live because they have no carbon dioxide to breathe in🤣🤣 she mentioned forest fires, like the Australian forest fire, but did you know 100+ people were arrested for deliberately starting those fires?… “Hottest days on record” Umm well when did records begin?… I think microplastics is much more of an issue than climate change… It’s in everyone’s and everythings bodies and we don’t know the damage it does …
The Chad European Federalist
October 15, 2020 at 12:16 pm
Carbon neutral doesn’t mean that no Co2 is emitted anymore into the atmosphere, but it means that the overall amount of Co2 in the atmosphere stays the same.
Plants take Co2 out of the atmosphere. Mammal breathing puts Co2 back into the atmosphere. But the overall amount of Co2 in circulation remains the same.
Lisa Love Ministries
October 15, 2020 at 1:02 pm
Amen Seek God’s will daily faithful and fruitful.
Titus 2:11-15👑
AUSPICIOUS KONDOR
October 15, 2020 at 1:37 pm
Timing
André Jacques
October 15, 2020 at 3:48 pm
Listen I care! We need a future and We need Hope!
anika
October 15, 2020 at 5:25 pm
this is a start. but … well if they actually listened to the scientists they’d know that 2050 is *too late* for us/europeans to keep the temperature rise below 1.5 degrees c!!!
Curly privat
October 15, 2020 at 5:30 pm
Didn’t we try to accomplish this till 2020?
Curly privat
October 15, 2020 at 5:35 pm
Her talk is very good and calming.
And the video for some reason already feels like an video from the past you would analyse in politics-class.
bj0rn
October 15, 2020 at 5:44 pm
Her hair reminds me of Hillary Clinton. Yuck!
CINEMA STUDIOS
October 15, 2020 at 5:49 pm
It is such a relief to see that some good things are being started, although not nearly enough. However, for everybody in the comment section being all negative – it’s not up to one continent to fix things. Nor is it all depending on politicians. Every single one of us can educate ourselves, mobilize other people and actively do something. On a small scale at home or joining/supporting an organization. Yes 2050 is too late but we don’t need to hear more negative comments, we need to get up and do something against climate change every fucking day.
PS: ECOSIA.de is a great start.
Have a wonderful day everyone 🌱🌿🍃💚
Neilhuny
October 15, 2020 at 7:43 pm
Absolutely right! Critical thinking has its place but being positive about the message from the EU is a great place to start correcting past mistakes vis-à-vis the climate
Thomas De Quincey
October 15, 2020 at 7:41 pm
She does know that the U.K., Russia and Turkey are part of Europe? Getting Denmark and Holl…the Netherlands to be carbon neutral is peanuts compared to these 3 countries.
Hedy Parks
October 16, 2020 at 1:30 am
Turkey has only a very small part of its territory on the european continent and is NOT part of the european union. Dito for russia. The UK is not “on the continent” and might actually be falling in line with the EU as they are hopefully a bit less brainwashed n ignorant than the US for example…
Claudio
October 15, 2020 at 9:16 pm
China and USA have left the chat
chuan li
October 16, 2020 at 9:13 am
China has not left the chat, China’s goal is to achieve carbon neutral by 2060.
Claudio
October 16, 2020 at 1:04 pm
@chuan li ok but NOW China and USA are first and second on the top 20 nations with the highest CO2 emissions.
Gary V
October 15, 2020 at 9:33 pm
Somebody’s got to take the lead. Well done the EU.
Dale Ivey
October 16, 2020 at 12:53 am
Idiocy
Aaron Berger
October 16, 2020 at 4:22 am
I’ve got to see these actions in order to believe what I just heard… I don’t wanna be a pessimist, however I don’t trust politics anymore :/ too bad, as I’m a very political person…..
Leo Jaguar
October 16, 2020 at 6:06 am
I don’t think it’s gonna happen
Allen Starkey
October 16, 2020 at 11:47 am
The Europen union is not a continent, it’s a governing body of some countries.
Europe is a continent which includes countries that are not part of the EU and some wont be Carbon neautral.
The UK will be Carbon neautral before the EU. The UK is part of Europe but will soon be out of the EU.
It really is the dumbest thing when the EU calls itself Europe.
BigMo
October 16, 2020 at 1:03 pm
There is no such thing as “Clean Energy” – only Cleaner Energy. Every type of power generation has some kind of negative byproduct, so as soon as that term is used the speaker is instantly political and manipulative. The world needs to make changes, I just what the garbage politics to stop.
parkertin
October 16, 2020 at 11:49 pm
What’s your problem with wind power or even solar power?
BigMo
October 17, 2020 at 4:20 am
@parkertin wind has destroyed much of the landscapes in my state. And because they are constructed in remote areas, they have have excessive carbon footprints just to get them manufactured, located and cabled to the grid, not to mention the birds they kill. Solar is only fully effective when paired with massive battery banks (sun only shines at night) so they require massive amounts of mining, destroying landscapes and also contain heavy metals – and they also disrupt immense landscapes in order generate an effective amount of power. Like I said, none are purely clean, but many are worse than others.
M T
October 16, 2020 at 2:08 pm
🤮🤮🤮🤮
Vincent Fischer
October 16, 2020 at 6:10 pm
Uschi bei TED? Hätt’ ich nicht gedacht.
davide marzorati
October 16, 2020 at 8:05 pm
In the meantime co2 emission globally still rising
Karlchen Müller
October 16, 2020 at 10:14 pm
1. Consume less
2. Print CO2 footprint on all products!
Jaco Flez
October 16, 2020 at 11:22 pm
I am so proud of being European ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🇪🇺🇪🇺
York Jiang
October 17, 2020 at 4:09 am
Happy to see the leadership in the EU to anticipate climate change. Now China also commits to realizing carbon neutral. Let’s united together.
Denis A. Minihane
October 17, 2020 at 6:51 am
In a global crisis, leadership always emerges…. well done Europe for acknowledging the global challenges and funding a long term Action Plan….
Martin Foot
October 17, 2020 at 1:04 pm
Why 2050? Is it because the Sun is going into a 30yr solar minimum ( sun goes through phases of activity) & Earth is naturally going to cool anyway so the govs in 30yrs time can take credit for what will happen naturally.
Extreme weather conditions? Tell the tw@t$ to stop cloud seeding & chem trailing when they don’t know the effects combined with other activities such as HAARP.
Whilst the sheeple sleep the 0.1% rule.
gaspar alexander mancilla wulff
October 17, 2020 at 3:59 pm
what a inspiring talk, i agree with this and i would like every continent moving in the same direction, i m full of hope
Regards from Chile
James Anderson
October 18, 2020 at 12:01 am
The green deal is great. But EU is definitely not a union.