Greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 2% last year across the European Union

Now that the bulk of EU climate and energy legislation under the “Target 55” package is in place, the EU and its Member States are working to meet the targets, according to the report “Trends and projections in Europe 2023“, which details the progress made.

As greenhouse gas emissions resumed a downward trajectory following the 2021 recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, Member States also reported a higher level of ambition for 2030 reductions and thousands of domestic policies and measures to meet climate and energy targets. While the report highlights some encouraging signs of progress, it also emphasises that at least a doubling of efforts will be needed to reach the ambitious targets set for the end of this decade.

Climate and energy progress to 2030

The EU has reduced net greenhouse gas emissions, including from international aviation, by 31% compared to 1990 levels, while boosting economic growth. Against a background of rising natural gas prices, a 2 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions was recorded in 2022, driven by substantial reductions in the building and industry sectors, while emissions from energy supply and transport increased.

According to the EEA report, to reach the 2030 emission reduction target, the annual rate of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe would need to more than double compared to the annual progress observed since 2005. Faster emission reductions are needed in particular for emissions from road transport, construction, agriculture, waste and small industries, all of which are covered by the Effort Sharing Regulation. Reductions in energy consumption and the growth of renewables need to be further accelerated to reach the 2030 targets included in the recently adopted Energy Efficiency Directive and Renewable Energy Sources Directive.

At the same time, the report indicates notable progress in specific areas. While wind and solar had a modest presence in the electricity sector in 2005, their estimated share of electricity production exceeded 20% by 2022. The recent deployment of solar power has been particularly remarkable, growing by 28% over 2022. The report also points to a notable increase in heat pump sales during 2022 and the increasing share of electric vehicles, which accounted for 22% of total new car sales last year.

In March 2023, Member States notified more than 3 000 policies and measures to achieve the energy and climate targets. According to their projections, measures already in place across Europe would lead to a 43% reduction in total net greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, including from international aviation, while other measures currently being planned would boost reductions to 48%. Last year, Member States only projected a total reduction of 41%, indicating a joint increase in ambition across Europe in the last year. However, this would still leave a gap of seven percentage points to the EU’s climate target of 55% by 2030.

Beyond 2030

Looking beyond 2030, the gap between the expected effect of policies and measures and the targets is greater, according to the EEA report. It warns that the window of opportunity to put the right decisions and technologies in place is limited, making it imperative that climate neutrality is taken into account in policies targeting many sectors. In particular, the report stresses that there is an urgent need to accelerate efforts in the transport and agriculture sector towards 2050, which have so far lagged behind other sectors in reducing emissions, and mentions the crucial contribution of increasing CO2 removal capacity within the land use, land-use change and forestry sector.

The update of Member States’ Integrated National Energy and Climate Plans (INECPs), drafts of which are being submitted since the summer of 2023 and the final update of which is expected by 30 June 2024, provides an opportunity for Member States to establish more robust policies and measures and increase levels of ambition. The report points out that updating these plans, together with rapid implementation of measures taken at EU level, are key ingredients for meeting the targets.

EEA support for European Climate Law progress reports

In parallel, the EEA launches its report on the status of national adaptation measures reported in 2023, which presents the current status of national adaptation policies. Both are presented at the same time as part of the assessment of progress on European Climate Legislation, which examines both mitigation and adaptation efforts in all EU Member States.

More information: European Environment Agency