The three European Commissioners Wopke Hoekstra (Climate), Teresa Ribera (Clean Transition) and Dan Jørgensen (Energy) conclude this based on the climate plans of all European member states, they said at a press conference this morning. If the member states implement their existing and proposed climate plans, the 54 percent emission reduction will be achieved, they say.
This means that the legal target remains in sight. That goal is part of the global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions such as CO2 and to mitigate climate change. Without major emission reductions, the process of climate change will not stop.
The Commission is particularly positive about the energy sector. In 2023, renewable energy accounted for around 24 percent of European energy consumption. The agricultural and transport sectors are lagging behind, the Commission notes. Belgium, Estonia and Poland also have yet to submit their full climate plans.
Although it is therefore too early to blow the trumpet, the European Commission noted that previous backlogs have been significantly reduced and the Member States are almost there. The Commissioners believe that the countries have shown that they have the "political will to reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels, and to improve the resilience and security of energy supplies and infrastructure".
The three Commissioners speak of a "solid foundation" for the discussions they will have with the Member States about the next steps. The intention is for the EU to be climate neutral by 2050. This means that the EU will no longer add any extra CO2 to the atmosphere from that year onwards.
That target still stands, but remarkably enough the Commission is now a lot vaguer about the interim target for 2040. Originally, the aim was to achieve a 90 percent reduction in emissions compared to 1990 in that year, but that intention has come under great pressure in recent months. Whether the EU will stick to this target, one of the most ambitious worldwide, was not stated.
(Source: NOS.nl)
