About: 2030 climate and energy targets
EU Commission clashes with Parliament over ‘net’ 2030 climate target
Lawmakers have denounced a “loophole” in the European Commission's proposed climate target for 2030 and pointed the finger at the EU executive for its hard negotiation style over the EU climate law.
CO2 pollution bounces back, climate goals at risk: IEA
Global CO2 emissions have returned to pre-pandemic levels, threatening to put climate treaty targets for capping global warming out of reach, the International Energy Agency said Tuesday (2 March).
Climate pledges for 2030 put world far off 1.5C goal, UN warns
Updated plans to reduce emissions, submitted so far by about 75 nations ahead of November's COP26 summit, barely make a dent in the huge cuts needed to meet global climate goals, the UN climate chief said on Friday (26 February), calling for redoubled efforts.
EU unveils data-driven climate adaptation strategy, drawing green criticism
More and better data is needed to improve knowledge of how to adapt to climate change, according to the European Commission's new adaptation strategy, which immediately came under fire from green activists for missing binding targets.
Why the Commission is getting it wrong on climate number-crunching
The European Commission's cost-benefit analysis for its upcoming 'Fit for 55' package of green laws for 2030 is outdated, assuming an eye-watering 10% cost of capital for climate action, writes Brook Riley.
Lawmakers back mandatory targets in EU circular economy action plan
Lawmakers in the European Parliament adopted a set of ambitious proposals on the EU’s circular economy action plan on Tuesday (9 February), including calls to introduce mandatory targets to reduce waste.
‘Historic step’ as European Parliament approves green recovery fund
Lawmakers in the European Parliament voted to pass the EU's €672.5 recovery and resilience facility on Tuesday evening (9 February), unlocking unprecedented funding aimed at helping Europe "build back better" after the COVID-19 crisis.
Lawmakers call for ‘nuclear renaissance’ to support EU’s energy transition
Renewables will not be enough for Europe to meet its 2050 climate neutrality goal, says a coalition of centrist and conservative MEPs. Instead, the EU will need a nuclear renaissance to achieve it, they argue, referring to a fresh study on the EU’s climate policy.
Greens frustrated with slow pace of talks on European climate law
European countries are delaying negotiations on the EU's 2030 climate target, according to Michael Bloss, a Green MEP from Germany who briefed the press after the third round of talks on the European climate law.
30 million Europeans were in energy poverty in 2019
Thirty million Europeans – the equivalent of Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic's populations combined – were unable to adequately heat their homes in 2019, according to a new report from the Jacques Delors Institute.
West Poland subregion aims to be first in the country to hit net zero
In 2030, the last electricity produced from coal will flow in Greater Poland, the second-largest region in the country. By 2040, the area intends to achieve climate neutrality.
‘Gas is over’, EU bank chief says
We need to face the reality that the future is no longer in fossil fuels and need to show credibility on that, said President of the European Investment Bank, Dr Werner Hoyer on Wednesday (20 January).
Shift to renewables ‘significantly decreased’ emissions, EU agency says
Europe's shift from fossil fuel-based electricity to renewable sources has cut down on greenhouse gas emissions while tackling environmental problems, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said on Monday (18 January).
Most Europeans plan to curb flying and eat less meat for climate, EU poll says
A majority of European citizens intend to fly less and already eat less meat to help fight climate change, according to a survey published by the European Investment Bank (EIB) on Monday (11 January).
Deal on European climate law is ‘big priority’ for Portugal at EU helm
Negotiations on the European Climate Law – including the bloc’s proposed 55% greenhouse gas reduction target for 2030 – are expected to wrap up before the end of June as Portugal makes a climate agreement the “big priority” of its six-month EU presidency, which started on 1 January.
EU price on pollution hits record high in early 2021
The price of permits on the European Union carbon market has soared to record levels in the first trading days of the year, hiking costs for polluters as the EU prepares measures to enforce deeper emissions cuts.
2021: Another decisive year for Europe’s climate ambitions
Climate policy will again take centre stage in 2021, with the European Commission expected to table a mammoth package of green laws in June, before the COP26 UN climate summit in Glasgow caps off a year packed with milestones for European climate policy in December.
Mind the gap: how EU countries perform on climate
EU member states will need to step up their efforts on renewables and energy efficiency in order to meet the bloc's updated climate and energy targets for 2030.
From Paris to Glasgow: the EU must drive climate action at home and abroad
2020 has been marred with pandemic, devastating wildfires and more frequent flooding, but it has also been a year of more ambitious climate targets. Now countries need to act on their pledges, writes Eliot Whittington.
EU countries agree 2030 climate goals before battle with lawmakers
European Union environment ministers agreed on Thursday (17 December) to enshrine in law a higher climate change target for 2030, setting themselves up for a battle early next year with lawmakers who want to go even further.
Energy Charter Treaty reform reaches milestone, with little progress to show
A two-day conference of the 54 parties to the Energy Charter Treaty, opening on Wednesday (16 December), will attempt to move forward in reforming the little-known charter, decried by environmentalists for protecting fossil fuel investments and blocking international efforts to curb global warming.
Reactions: Deal on EU’s 2030 climate target is a big step, but won’t close the gap to 2050
EU heads of states have agreed on a 55% reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, but the inclusion of carbon sinks and the choice of 1990 as the baseline year have led environmentalists to criticise the deal for lacking ambition.
UN climate summit registers new carbon-cutting pledges
More than 70 heads of state showed stronger climate action at a virtual summit, but heavy lifting remains in 2021 to meet the ambition of Paris. EURACTIV's media partner, Climate Home News, reports.