Today, 22 April, is International Mother Earth Day. We would therefore like to recall the work the European Union is doing to combat climate change and the commitment the Member States have agreed on for 2050.
EU countries have made a legal commitment to combat climate change by moving to a climate-neutral economy with zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. EU leaders meeting in the European Council agreed on this target in December 2019 and the European Commission subsequently launched the European Green Pact. The target stems from the commitment made under the Paris Agreement, signed and ratified by all EU Member States.
The transition to a net-zero emission economy is indispensable to tackle the climate crisis and provides important opportunities for:
- economic growth,
- markets and employment,
- technological development.
The ecological transition aims to boost the EU’s competitiveness and to be socially balanced and just.
What is meant by “climate neutrality” and “net zero emissions”?
Climate neutrality” refers to a situation in which emissions of greenhouse gases generated by human activity – such as carbon dioxide (CO2) from the burning of fossil fuels – are significantly reduced in the atmosphere in order to avoid impacts on the climate system.
These difficult-to-eliminate emissions are compensated by the absorption of carbon, i.e.CO2 extracted from the atmosphere, either naturally by vegetation or by mechanical means.
In a climate-neutral economy, there is an equilibrium of zero net emissions.
How do EU countries achieve climate neutrality?
To achieve climate neutrality in the EU by 2050, EU countries must drastically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and find ways to offset remaining and unavoidable emissions.
In recent years, and in particular in the framework of the European Green Pact, the EU has set targets for emission reductions in all economic sectors and adopted legislation to achieve these reductions.
EU climate targets
As the climate crisis worsens and extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and severity, EU countries have set increasingly ambitious targets to combat climate change.
In 2008, an EU-wide climate target was set to reduce emissions by 20 % by 2020 compared to 1990. The EU exceeded this target and achieved a 30 % reduction by 2020. This result was also linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the data show that the EU had already exceeded its target in 2019, with a 24% reduction.
In 2014, EU countries agreed on a 40 % emissions reduction target for 2030. In 2023, the EU increased its ambition to the 2030 target: as a result, EU countries are now legally obliged to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030. This is an intermediate step towards the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
In 2024, the European Commission presented a recommendation for an emissions reduction target for 2040.
EU climate policy and legislation
Much of the EU’s recent climate policy is a result of the European Green Pact.
The Climate Regulation is the main piece of legislation of the Green Pact, insofar as it makes the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 a legal obligation for all EU member states.
The “Target 55” package, which includes several pieces of legislation and sets out rules and measures to achieve the objective of reducing emissions by at least 55% by 2030, is an important piece of legislation.
As achieving a net zero emissions balance requires a major transformation of the current economic model, climate policy covers all economic sectors.
Progress towards climate neutrality
Since EU countries set the first climate targets, the EU has made significant progress in reducing its climate impact.
By 2022, total EU greenhouse gas emissions in the EU will have fallen by more than 30% compared to 1990 levels.
However, emissions are not decreasing at the same rate in all sectors. While emissions are increasing in some sectors, such as international aviation and transport, other sectors have seen significant reductions since 1990, with the energy sector topping the list with a 47% decrease.
More information: European Council
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