Climate change mitigation: reducing emissions

Our climate is changing because of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Despite notable emission reductions over the last decades, the EU must transform production and consumption systems to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

Mitigating climate change means reducing the flow of heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This involves cutting greenhouse gases from main sources such as power plants, factories, cars, and farms. Forests, oceans, and soil also absorb and store these gases, and are an important part of the solution. Reducing and avoiding our emissions requires us to reshape everything we do — from how we power our economy and grow our food, to how we travel and live, and the products we consume. It is a problem felt locally and globally.

Reducing emissions requires rethinking society, economics, science and politics. The faster we act to reduce these emissions, the better off we will be in the future.

In the past decades, the EU took firm action against climate change, resulting in a more than 30% drop in EU emissions in 2020 compared with 1990 levels — well beyond the 2020 target to reduce emissions by 20%. This is mainly a result of a growing use of renewable energy and decreased use of carbon-intensive fossil fuels. Improvements in energy efficiency and structural changes in the economy also contributed to meeting these goals.

Now, more ambitious goals are set that include a net 55% or greater reduction below 1990 levels by 2030 and a climate-neutrality objective by 2050. Reaching these goals will require even higher emission cuts through transitioning from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy. It also means halting deforestation, using land sustainably and restoring nature until we reach the point where the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is balanced with the capture and storage of these gases in our forests, oceans and soil.

The EU emits 6% of global emissions and cannot act alone. Global cooperation is essential for all climate change mitigation. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement ensure cooperation across borders to tackle climate change and ensure a sustainable future.

EU Member States have put in place 2,300 policies and measures to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. National climate change mitigation strategies, policies and other accompanying measures are also in development. These include targets for greenhouse gas emissions in key sectors of the economy, promoting the use of renewable energy and low carbon fuels, energy efficiency improvements in buildings, and many more.

Overall, the EU fully achieved its 2020 targets across all three target areas — greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Most Member States succeeded in meeting their individual 2020 climate targets as well.

Achievements in emission reductions vary across sectors too. Most EU sectors reduced greenhouse gas emissions over the past three decades, with the highest reductions in the energy supply sector. Still, agriculture and transport struggle to reduce emissions:

Transport greenhouse gas emissions have increased every year since 2014.
Agriculture greenhouse gas emissions were stable from 2005 to 2021. National policies and measures in place across the EU are expected to deliver further reductions of only 1.5% by 2040.

The EU also achieved its target for renewable energy. By 2020, 22% of our energy consumed came from renewable sources, and 40% was energy production. For energy efficiency, the EU-27 overachieved the target in its final year, after an initial slow start.

The European Green Deal sets the overall roadmap for achieving EU climate neutrality by 2050 by tackling the threat of climate change while also growing economically and protecting people’s well-being. With the European Climate Law, the EU made climate neutrality by 2050 a legally binding goal, set an interim target of a net 55% emission reduction by 2030 and is working on setting the 2040 target. The Fit for 55 proposal aims to bring EU legislation in line with the 2030 goal.

The impacts of the 2022 gas and energy security crisis highlighted the importance of transitioning faster towards a clean and secure EU energy system.

Under the wider umbrella of the European Green Deal, Europe's 2030 policy ambitions include:

Reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to at least 55% below 1990 levels by 2030;
Improving the share of renewable energy use;
Increasing energy efficiency;
Setting a more ambitious and cost-effective path to achieving climate neutrality by 2050;
Stimulating green job creation and continuing the EU’s track record of cutting greenhouse gas emissions while growing its economy;
Providing more opportunities to recharge or fuel vehicles with alternative fuels, and providing alternative power supply for ships and planes;
Encouraging international partners to increase their ambition to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5°C and avoid the most severe consequences of climate change;
Introducing a waste hierarchy for proper waste management that includes prevention, reuse, recycling, recovery, and disposal.

To accelerate this transition, Europe must ensure that investments and finance support sustainability. Energy and mobility sectors especially must distance themselves from unsustainable technologies.

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EU greenhouse gases in numbers

of global emissions

are released by the EU: 4th largest emitter

30%

reduction in EU emissions achieved

in 2021 compared to 1990 levels

55%

is the EU reduction target by 2030

compared to 1990 levels

Is Europe on track towards its 2030 targets?

Greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption rose in 2021 due mostly to Europe’s post-pandemic recovery. Most EU Member States successfully achieved the EU’s 2020 climate and energy targets and are now turning their sights toward climate neutrality while also addressing the current energy supply crisis.

In the coming years, substantial emissions reductions will need to be sustained year-on-year to achieve climate neutrality in the long term. With the European Climate law, the 2030 reduction target was increased to at least 55% net greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

Methane and its warming potential

While emissions of methane across the European Union have decreased over past years, the overall reduction in emissions needs to accelerate to meet 2030 and 2050 EU climate objectives. Increased global efforts to reduce methane emissions would also be needed to mitigate global warming in the short term.

According to the latest available official data, emissions of methane were down by 36% in the EU in 2020 compared with 1990 levels. The largest reductions in emissions occurred in energy supply, which includes energy industries and fugitive (leaked or uncaptured) emissions (-65%), waste (-37%) and agriculture (-21%).

Europe's greenhouse gas data: explore emissions, projections sectors, countries and much more...

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ImageEmrah Aycan, Sustainably Yours/EEA

Our climate data to monitor Europe's progress

A robust reporting system is required to monitor progress toward EU climate change mitigation targets. The EEA is a key player in setting up these reporting systems, providing guidance to Member States on how to report and quality check the input. The EEA collects and provides access to the following types of data:

Greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories;
Greenhouse gas projections;
Policies and measures;
National systems for GHG policies and measures and projections;
Use of EU emissions trading system auctioning revenues;
Information on support to developing countries;
National climate change adaptation actions;
Ozone-depleting substances;
CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars, vans and heavy-duty vehicles.

Much of the data comes from datasets collected by the EEA. This data is then used to fulfil the EU's own targets and to allow the European Commission to assess whether the Union is on track to meet its international pledges made in the United Nations setting.

Explore our data on climate and energy

How is Copernicus helping?

In simple terms, photosynthesis is the process through which trees and plants capture carbon from the atmosphere and release oxygen. This natural process happens to be one of our best allies and the most efficient technology to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Thanks to the EU's earth observation programme Copernicus, we get detailed information on what grows on the ground.

And knowing where vegetated areas are and what type of vegetation is growing there is crucial for calculating net greenhouse gas emissions.

Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, managed by the EEA and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, provides information on land cover types and land use. This data can assist national governments in achieving their Nationally Determined Contributions.

More on Copernicus Land Monitoring Service

Climate change mitigation: reducing emissions

EU greenhouse gases in numbers

Is Europe on track towards its 2030 targets?

Methane and its warming potential

Europe's greenhouse gas data: explore emissions, projections sectors, countries and much more...

Our climate data to monitor Europe's progress

How is Copernicus helping?

More information

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