EU is nearing its 2030 climate and energy targets, says European Commission

Brussels, 28 May (CTK correspondent) - The European Union is currently on track to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by around 54 percent by 2030 compared with 1990 levels. That figure is just short of the 55 percent climate target. The European Commission announced this. The EU executive today published its assessment of the National Energy and Climate Plans of individual member states. The Commission assessed 23 plans, including the Czech one.

EU member states have substantially improved their National Energy and Climate Plans following recommendations from the European Commission, according to the assessment. The energy and climate plans, which countries are required to submit regularly, inform the Commission in particular about how individual states intend to contribute to the EU's targets for renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"In the current geopolitical context, this shows that the EU is staying the course on its climate commitments, investing resolutely in the clean energy transition, and prioritising the EU's industrial competitiveness and social dimension," the EU executive said.

Initiatives such as the Clean Industrial Deal and the Action Plan for Affordable Energy should also gradually lead to lower and more stable energy prices, according to the Commission.

The Commission's current assessment provides a basis for discussions on the next steps on the EU's path to decarbonisation by 2040 and to achieving climate neutrality by 2050. "The Commission will step up cooperation with member states to address the remaining gaps and implement the further guidance set out in today's assessment," the document says.

The Commission also urged the member states that have not yet submitted their final plans—Belgium, Estonia and Poland—to do so without delay. Their overall targets were included in the EU assessment, but the Commission said it would review each of their plans individually shortly after they are formally submitted. The EU executive is also still working on an individual assessment of Slovakia's final National Energy and Climate Plan, which was submitted only on 15 April.

"Europe is showing that reliable and predictable targets based on scientific evidence, together with appropriate regulation, deliver results," said Teresa Ribera, European Commission Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition.

According to her, the updated national energy and climate plans show that the green agenda is not just a goal, but a way to modernise our economies and invest in industrial innovation and more opportunities for Europeans. "We can achieve 55 percent, and we must create the conditions to reach 90 percent by 2040," Ribera added.

European Commissioner for Climate Wopke Hoekstra confirmed at a press conference today that the executive will publish its long-awaited and closely watched proposal for a 2040 climate target before the Commission's summer recess at the end of July. The Commission had previously said in its recommendation that the EU should cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent compared with 1990. However, MEPs and member states, including the Czech Republic, criticised these plans, prompting the Commission to postpone the proposal, which had originally been scheduled for March.

According to Ribera, the European Commission will stick to its proposal and tell countries to cut emissions by 90 percent by 2040, but will offer them some flexibility to make the target politically acceptable. Ribera said this in an interview with Brussels-based news outlet Politico.

The updated national plans also confirm member states' firm commitment to meeting the EU's 2030 targets, according to the European Commissioner for Energy. "Renewable energy is becoming the main source of electricity in the EU, and we are reducing our final energy consumption," said Dan Jørgensen, stressing the importance of completing the Energy Union.