European lawmakers have voted to declare an EU-wide climate emergency, in a symbolic move aimed at increasing pressure on the incoming European Commission to take a stronger stance on climate change, reports DW.

The climate declaration was passed on Thursday in Strasbourg during a European Parliament (EP) debate on the upcoming United Nations' COP25 climate summit that kicks off December 2 in Madrid. 

In a statement on Twitter after the vote, EU lawmakers urged the European Commission "to fully ensure all relevant legislative and budgetary proposals are fully aligned" with the 1.5-degrees-Celsius (2.7-degrees-Fahrenheit) target limit on global warming.

The resolution calls on the EU to cut emissions by 55% by 2030 to become climate neutral by 2050.