Climate has recently been pushed down the political agenda as a result of Trump's tariffs, the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East. Yet EU countries are well on their way to meeting a key goal of the EU's climate ambitions. This is shown by a new report from the EU Commission.
- It is good news for the climate. It is good news for the economy. There is still work to be done, and we will continue to do so, says EU Commissioner for Climate Action Wopke Hoekstra.
In the report, the EU Commission has made an assessment of the EU countries' national energy and climate plans.
- It is an assessment of what decision-makers in EU countries are doing to meet the climate goals, says EU Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen.
- The report shows that there is no setback in the fight against climate change. On the contrary, we are heading in the right direction.
According to the report, with their current plans, EU countries are on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54 percent compared to 1990 levels.
The 54 percent reduction is one percentage point below the EU's 2030 target of 55 percent. This means that it will not take much to achieve the important goal on the way to climate neutrality in 2050, believes Wopke Hoekstra.
- I am convinced that we can and will meet the target. We will continue the dialogue with the member states and help spread best practice across the EU, he says.
The Ukraine war has accelerated the transition
According to the EU Commission, the EU countries have tightened their plans "significantly" after a report from the EU Commission in December 2023.
At the same time, the war in Ukraine has accelerated the transition to renewable energy. The war has meant that the EU countries have reduced their purchases of fossil energy from Russia and replaced part of it with renewable energy.
Now the EU Commission wants to take the step fully. Dan Jørgensen recently presented a roadmap for a final farewell to Russian energy. He highlights that EU countries collectively built 78 GW of renewable energy last year and are on track to build 89 GW this year.
- This shows that the EU is staying the course in relation to its climate commitments, investing decisively in the transition to clean energy and prioritizing the EU's industrial competitiveness and the social dimension, the report states.
According to the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) and the Danish Chamber of Commerce, the business community supports the development, which also strengthens the EU's independence and security of energy supply.
- Companies are investing in the green transition and want to continue on that path, says DI's climate manager, Anne Højer Simonsen.
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