About: 2030 climate and energy targets
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.
How Europe’s decisions on climate change reverberate across Africa
The fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement is this week, and Africa is looking at leaders like Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron to begin treating the climate crisis like a crisis, writes Vanessa Nakate.
Time to step up: 5 years on from Paris
It is high time that European and national leaders formally commit to stronger EU 2030 decarbonisation objectives and start working for a climate neutral Europe by 2050, together with our cities and regions, write the heads of four city networks.
Why Europe must reskill workers to reach its climate goals
The large-scale social and economic shifts caused by the clean energy transition should be managed with care, write Magnus Tyreman and Hauke Engel. A broad training effort would enable Europe to create a labour force that will thrive during the pursuit of the net-zero emissions target, they argue.Promoted content
PGE: Poland wants to catch the wind of Baltic Sea
PGE Capital Group wants to be the leader of offshore energy in Poland. Plans to deploy up to 6.5 GW of offshore wind farms capacity in the Baltic Sea are divided into two stages. By 2030, PGE will commission two...
EU needs mandatory targets and means to save energy
The European Commission needs to bring in legally-binding energy efficiency targets to support building renovation and give member states the support they need to reach them, write Kamila Waciega and Ville Niinistö.
Poland can contribute to the EU’s 55% target while solving its key problems
Poland is lagging behind cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but diversifying its energy mix, making heating clean and increasing traffic electrification could improve emission reductions and transform the economy for the future, writes Aleksandra Gawlikowska-Fyk.
Delivering a net-zero economy
Mid-century climate targets are feasible but decisive action needs to be taken in the 2020s to put the world onto the right trajectory, writes Sandrine Dixson-Declève.
Europe: Time to Paris!
Today is the last European summit where EU leaders will meet before the Paris Agreement's 5th birthday party, and there is still no agreement on the table to increase the EU's contribution to the UN, write Parents for Future Germany.
Meeting the 2030 emissions targets: Mission possible?
Meeting the European Commission’s proposed climate target for 2030 will require a step change in emission reduction – nearly trebling the existing effort – and a considerable ramp up in renewable energy production, write Mike Parr and Gabriel Benchetrit.
Spend it well – the EU’s €1.8 trillion problem
Europe has to rethink how it allocates resources to reach its climate targets, says Kirsten Dunlop. We need to change the way we do innovation, she argues.
An EU 2030 climate target of at least 55% is not only necessary – it is also possible
Ambitious climate policy in the EU can underpin a sustainable economic growth that supports the development of a competitive, modern economy that delivers benefits for all, and acts as a beacon of inspiration to the rest of the world, writes Dan Jørgensen.
The EU can and must cut emissions by more than 55% by 2030
The European Commission has proposed to strengthen its 40% greenhouse gas emission reduction target to 50% or 55% on 1990 levels in the next ten years. But this step does not meet the minimum level of ambition that climate science,...
In the right direction but lacking ambition: The Spanish Climate Change and Energy Transition Bill
If the European Green Deal is going to be EU’s recovery strategy from the coronavirus crisis, the Spanish climate and energy bill is not ambitious enough, writes Ana Barreira.
How the coronavirus outbreak affects the EU’s 2030 climate targets
Ultimately, the coronavirus pandemic may slow down initial plans to adopt the European Climate Law and a number of other climate-related policy proposals, writes Robert Jeszke.
Why number crunching can make or break Europe’s climate ambition
After the EU committed to climate neutrality by mid-century, the European Commission is now busy performing a detailed cost-benefit analysis of raising the bloc’s climate target for 2030. Brook Riley peaks into the EU's modelling engine room to decipher the assumptions behind the figures.
Industrial decarbonisation and the EU Green Deal: The case for bold action
The green deal is a credible first step to decarbonise energy-intensive industries such as steelmaking and chemicals. However, the transition to climate neutrality will also depend on the development of a comprehensive, integrated industrial strategy, writes Gauri Khandekar.
Time for a new deal for our planet, our communities and our future
The transition to net-zero emissions by 2050 is a massive challenge, but also a huge opportunity – a chance to design a socially inclusive, clean future, argue Sharan Burrow, Paul Polman and Laurence Tubiana.
Time is ripe to align EU policies with Paris Climate Agreement
It’s the new Commission’s first weeks in office and climate is in the spotlight, with a European Green Deal expected to be tabled on 11 December. To succeed, the deal needs to enshrine increased climate ambition for the next decade, align the EU budget accordingly and boost EU support to developing countries, writes Wendel Trio.
Progressive businesses support a 55% carbon reduction target in Europe
The COP25 climate summit in Madrid needs to lay the groundwork for 2020 when countries and blocs will be measured against their commitment to the Paris Agreement. At EU level, this should translate into an ambitious European Green Deal, writes Eliot Whittington.
Germany’s missed opportunity to regain climate leadership
The German climate cabinet’s plans for 2030, published last Friday, are a step forward for climate action but they are insufficient to achieve the government’s own targets, write Felix Heilmann, Alexander Reitzenstein and Brick Medak.
Connecting the dots to enable climate leadership at all levels
We are running out of time to achieve the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030, and need urgent and ambitious climate leadership. Cities are central to this effort – and it is crucial that we continue to enable our cities to address and solve climate challenges, writes Lars Tveen.
A new European agenda for climate resilience
As the 2019 EU elections loom and a new European Commission takes office, climate action can become a key driver of a reformed EU project for more solidarity, protection and innovation, writes Luca Bergamaschi.