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Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions must be “significantly” accelerated if the bloc is to meet its 2030 and 2050 climate targets, a leading EU scientific advisory group has said.
The European Observatory for Climate Neutrality assesses dozens of indicators across major economic sectors. Progress on EU targets, including a goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, has been particularly poor in forestry and finance, according to the EU’s first synthesis report, with the bloc needing to increase climate investment by €360 billion a year to help achieve net-zero emissions . Track the group’s progress.
The alliance of research groups also said Brussels must step up efforts to help households reduce their carbon footprint.
The European Union has positioned itself as a leader in climate policy, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050. By 2021, EU emissions will be reduced by 30% compared to 1990 levels. But meeting the 2030 target would require a further cut of 132 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of 332 gas stations, the report said.
The report added: “The past five years of data provide a clear message: while emissions in Europe continue to decline, faster reductions are needed to meet the 2030 targets and achieve climate neutrality by 2050.”
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The World Meteorological Organization said this week that Europe is warming “twice” the global averageBy 2022, temperatures will be about 2.3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Last year saw extreme heat, drought and wildfires across the continent, sea surface temperatures in the region reached “record highs” and glaciers melted to “unprecedented” levels, the report said.
Dutch climate and energy minister Rob Jetten, who is negotiating on behalf of the EU at the COP climate summit, said it was crucial for Europe to meet its emissions reduction targets because the region “needs to play a role in climate action given our historical responsibility.” leadership and set an example”.
The European Commission concluded consultations on Friday to set the bloc’s 2040 target, with the first formal assessment of progress towards net-zero emissions expected in September.
However, the ECNO report warns that data gaps are hindering the ability of lawmakers to make informed decisions about achieving climate neutrality. EU lawmakers are not bound by the agency’s recommendations.
The researchers’ findings are expected to be bolstered by a report by the European Court of Auditors to be released on Monday, which will show that the EU has not taken enough action to meet the 2030 targets.
The ECNO report found that between 2014 and 2019, the average carbon footprint of EU household spending fell by an average of 1.2% a year, a rate that was “too slow” to achieve the 2050 climate neutrality target.
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The report said there was “virtually no” EU policy aimed at helping consumers switch to more sustainable lifestyles, and that while a reduction in red meat consumption would help, the European agrifood sector would need to decarbonise at more than twice the current rate.
The EU is also “going in the wrong direction” with regard to fossil fuel subsidies, with spending “jumping” in 2021 and 2022 from 46.2 billion euros in 2020 in response to an energy crisis triggered by a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the report said.
The report added that “there are no indicators available at EU level to assess in a relevant way the alignment of the financial system with the Paris climate agreement”, nor is there a system for tracking whether trade policy is aligned with the Paris goals.
Other areas of concern include a lack of investment in electricity networks to support the rollout of renewable energy, and slow progress in phasing out fossil fuel-powered boilers and industrial adoption of clean energy.
Current chair Ursula von der Leyen, who took office in 2019, “has a plan to strengthen the EU’s climate goals,” the commission said.
“The EU now has binding emissions reduction targets for 2030 and 2050 in climate law . . . the pace of transition across Europe is accelerating.”