The EU reached its climate targets for 2020, but it will be tougher to reach the target for 2030
The EU Environment Agency in Copenhagen (EEA) has made the report, which was released on Tuesday. The report is based on data from 2019 and preliminary highs for 2020.
According to preliminary data, emissions fell by 10 percent from 2019 to 2020. Most of this was related to the pandemic, the report says.
According to the EEA, emissions were 31 percent lower in 2020 and in 1990 in the EU as a whole. But even though the union clearly met its emissions requirements, only 21 had reached their national targets. The countries that did not do so were Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Ireland and Malta. They have to buy quotas from other EU countries to reach their emission targets.
A debate is now under way in the EU on the quota trading system in the wake of the energy crisis.
Efficient quota trading
Some member states are concerned that the high allowance prices are helping to push up the price of energy as electricity. But as a mechanism for cutting emissions, quota trading has been successful. The report states that the parts of the business sector that are covered by quota trading (ETS) have delivered more extensive cuts than those that are outside quota trading. In ETS, energy production and power-intensive industry are, but transport, construction and agriculture are a so-called non-quota sector. The European Commission has proposed that construction and road transport be incorporated into a separate quota system.
What about 55 percent cuts in 2030?
The EU’s target is a 55 percent cut in 2030. Based on the national plans, they will result in a 41 percent cut in emissions by 2030. But this means that the cuts that will follow from the comprehensive laws that the EU is now considering have not been made. known as “Fit for 55.”
It is these who will provide the measures that enable the EU to reach the target of a 55 percent emission cut compared to 1990 in 2030.
Calls for more energy efficiency
The report points out that more renewable energy is needed to achieve the EU’s goals. Here, the report states that there must be new and stronger initiatives. The report also points out that the union’s 27 member states must become significantly better at energy efficiency if the goals are to be achieved. The EU was helped by the pandemic to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent. But in order to achieve the long-term goals, more effective measures must be put in place.