Under the European Climate Law, the EU should regularly track progress towards its climate objectives and assess whether its policies are consistent with achieving these goals
The Paris Agreement sets out the goal of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change by holding global warming to well below 2° C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C, relative to pre-industrial levels. As its contribution to this goal, the EU is legally committed, under the European Climate Law, to reduce its GHG emissions to net zero by 2050 at the latest, and to aim to achieve negative emissions thereafter. The law also sets the intermediate target of reducing net GHG emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
On 12 December 2023, a comprehensive assessment of the progress made by the global community towards the goals of the Paris Agreement – the first global stocktake – was concluded at the 28th Conference of the Parties under the UN FCCC in Dubai. This process resulted in a call for accelerated action, recognising the need for deep, rapid and sustained emissions reductions in line with 1.5°C pathways. Similarly, to ensure the EU remains on track to meet its climate objectives, the European Climate Law foresees a regular stocktake of progress towards the law's objectives, including an assessment of whether EU measures are consistent with these goals.
The EU has significantly strengthened its climate policies (primarily through the Fit for 55 package) to reach its 2030 target and to respond to new challenges posed by a rapidly changing international environment. Achieving climate neutrality by 2050 will require further development of climate policies.