Annual work programme 2024.
Date: 2024-04-29
Institutions: European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change
Subjects: action programme, climate change, climate change policy, environmental policy, environmental protection, sustainable development

Annual work programme 2024 

 
  
 
 
 
PUBLICATION INFORMATION 

Published on 5 January 2024 
Catalogue number: TH-02-23-328-EN-N 
DOI: 10.2800/054938 
ISBN: 978-92-9480-619-2 

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Contents 

Contents ................................................................................................................................................. 3 

1.  The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change .................................................... 4 

1.1 

Role of the Advisory Board ................................................................................................................................... 4 

1.2  Work and tasks of the Advisory Board............................................................................................................. 4 

1.3 

1.4 

Composition of the Advisory Board .................................................................................................................. 5 

Resources of the Advisory Board ....................................................................................................................... 5 

2. 

Implementation of the 2023 work programme ......................................................................... 6 

2.1 

2.2 

Short overview of the 2023 work programme .............................................................................................. 6 

Execution of the 2023 work programme ........................................................................................................ 6 

3.  Policy agenda for 2024 ............................................................................................................... 10 

4.  2024 work programme ............................................................................................................... 11 

4.1 

4.2 

4.3 

4.4 

4.5 

4.6 

4.7 

4.8 

Short overview of the 2024 work programme ........................................................................................... 11 

Follow up on the Advisory Board’s 2023 advice on an EU 2040 target ........................................... 11 

Towards EU climate neutrality: progress, policy gaps and opportunities ....................................... 12 

Carbon dioxide removals in the EU ................................................................................................................ 12 

Strengthening climate mitigation and resilience of EU agriculture .................................................. 12 

Climate adaptation and resilience .................................................................................................................. 13 

Scenarios for the planning and development of EU’s energy infrastructure................................. 13 

Continued engagement with experts and stakeholders ........................................................................ 13 

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1.  The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change 

1.1  Role of the Advisory Board 
The European Climate Law (1), adopted in June 2021, enshrines into law the objective of the European 
Union (EU) to become climate neutral and climate-resilient by 2050, and establishes a European Scientific 
Advisory Board on Climate Change (the ‘Advisory Board’) to underpin the EU’s climate action and efforts 
with  independent  scientific  expertise and  the best available, up-to-date and transparent  evidence on 
possible pathways, targets and policy measures. It is formally established through an amendment of the 
founding  regulation  of  the  European  Environment  Agency  (EEA)  (2),  introduced  in  Article  12  of  the 
European Climate Law.  

Article 3(1) of the European Climate Law defines the role of the Advisory Board as follows: 

The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change (the ‘Advisory Board’) shall serve as a 
point of reference for the [European] Union on scientific knowledge relating to climate change by 
virtue of its independence and scientific and technical expertise. 

The Advisory Board is an independent body providing the EU with scientific knowledge, expertise and 
advice  relating  to  climate  change.  The  Advisory  Board  evaluates  policies  and  identifies  actions  and 
opportunities to successfully achieve the EU’s climate targets. It was established in 2021 by the European 
Climate Law and consists of 15 independent senior scientific experts covering a broad range of relevant 
disciplines.  

The members of the Advisory Board give their positions independently of the Member States and the 
EU institutions. 

1.2  Work and tasks of the Advisory Board 
The tasks of the Advisory Board are broadly defined in Article 3(2) of the European Climate Law. They 
include: 

(a)  considering the latest scientific findings of the IPCC reports and scientific climate data, in particular 

with regard to information relevant to the European Union (EU); 

(b)  providing scientific advice and issuing reports on existing and proposed EU measures, climate 
targets and indicative greenhouse gas budgets, and their coherence with the objectives of this 
Regulation and the EU’s international commitments under the Paris Agreement; 

(c)  contributing to the exchange of independent scientific knowledge in the field of modelling, 

monitoring, promising research and innovation which contribute to reducing emissions or 
increasing removals; 

(d)  identifying actions and opportunities needed to successfully achieve the EU climate targets; 
(e)  raising awareness on climate change and its impacts, as well as stimulating dialogue and 

cooperation between scientific bodies within the EU, complementing existing work and efforts. 
To  provide  robust  and  sound  evaluation  and  advice  and  to  explore  pathways  to  achieve  climate 
neutrality and climate resilience in a just, socially balanced, fair and cost-effective manner, the Advisory 
Board is guided in its work by the best available and most recent scientific evidence, including the latest 

1 Regulation  (EU)  2021/1119  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  30  June  2021  establishing  the  framework  for 
achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulations (EC) No 401/2009 and (EU) 2018/1999. 
2 Regulation (EC) No 401/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the European Environment 
Agency and the European Environment Information and Observation Network. 

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reports of the IPCC, IPBES and other international bodies. It also builds on data and knowledge available 
from European research, technology and innovation networks. The Advisory Board seeks to avoid any 
overlap in its mission with that of the IPCC at international level (3), and to complement the work of the 
EEA. It also considers, where available, the work of national climate advisory bodies.  

The Advisory Board shall follow a fully transparent process and make its reports publicly available. 

1.3  Composition of the Advisory Board 
The 15 members of the Advisory Board were designated on 24 March 2022 by the Management Board 
of the EEA. They were appointed in a personal capacity for a term of four years, renewable once. There 
are no more than two members of the Advisory Board holding the nationality of the same Member State. 
The  members  have  elected  a  chairperson  and  two  vice-chairpersons  among  themselves.  The  15 
independent senior scientific experts composing the Advisory Board are: 

Laura Díaz Anadón, vice-chair (Spanish, American) 

  Maarten van Aalst (Dutch) 
  Constantinos Cartalis (Greek) 
 
  Ottmar Edenhofer, chair (German) 
  Vera Eory (Hungarian, British) 
 
Edgar Hertwich (Austrian) 
 
Jette Bredahl Jacobsen, vice-chair (Danish) 
 
Lena Kitzing (Danish, German) 
 
Elena López-Gunn (Spanish, British) 
 
Lars J. Nilsson (Swedish) 
 
Suraje Rauto Dessai (Portuguese, British) 
  Keywan Riahi (Austrian) 
 
Joeri Rogelj (Belgian) 
  Nicolaas Schrijver (Dutch) 
 

Jean-Francois Soussana (French) 

Short biographies of the members of the Advisory Board are presented on the Advisory Board’s website. 

1.4  Resources of the Advisory Board 
The  Advisory  Board’s  expenditure  is  included  in  the  EEA  budget,  and  the  Advisory  Board  acts 
independently in discharging its tasks. This expenditure supports the functioning of a Secretariat, hosted 
by  the  EEA,  of  up  to  14  additional  full-time  staff.  It  also  includes  an  annual  functioning  budget  of 
EUR 500 000 (additional to salaries) to support a wide range of tasks, including communication, website 
maintenance,  publishing  reports,  dissemination  and  outreach,  Advisory  Board  members’  travel  and 
accommodation  expenses,  as  well  as  honorarium  for  Advisory  Board  members  in  relation  to  e.g., 
participation of meetings. By the end of 2023, the Secretariat has staffed 9 out of the envisaged 14 FTE’s. 

3 See recital 24 of the European Climate Law 

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2.  Implementation of the 2023 work programme 

2.1  Short overview of the 2023 work programme 
In its 2023  work programme, the Advisory Board  identified the  four main  following axes for  its 2023 
work: 

1.  Provide input and advice to ensure an effective implementation of EU climate policies, in the 

context of: 
- 

the European Climate Law, including providing input to the European Commission’s 
proposal on 2040 emissions target and the European Commission’s consistency 
assessment of EU policies  
the Fit for 55 package 
the TEN-E regulation  

- 
- 

2.  Continue work on mitigation options, with a focus on the agriculture, land use and forestry 

sectors, as well as carbon dioxide removals  

3.  Scope further activities on adaptation  
4.  Continued engagements with experts and stakeholders, including an active outreach to 

experts from Central and Eastern European Member States  

2.2  Execution of the 2023 work programme 
The following sections describe how the Advisory Board delivered on each of the work priorities from 
its 2023 work programme. 

Input to the proposal of a 2040 target and 2030-2050 greenhouse gas budget 

2.2.1 
2023 work programme: “The Advisory Board will continue its work to provide relevant and timely input 
to the Commission’s proposal of a 2040 target and report on a greenhouse gas budget for the period 2030-
2050, as already foreseen in its 2022 work programme. The Advisory Board will provide an assessment and 
recommended range of 2040 reduction objectives (and related to that, an indicative 2030-2050 greenhouse 
gas budget), based on latest scientific findings and the guiding principles presented in its first output on 
the  topic…  It  aims  publish  this  assessment  by  April  2023,  to  ensure  timely  input  for  the  Commission’s 
proposal early 2024.” 

Actions in 2023: The Advisory Board conducted extensive research, findings of which were presented 
in two reports contributing to European Commission’s task of setting the EU intermediate target 
towards climate neutrality under the article 4 of the European Climate Law: 

 

 

‘Setting climate targets based on scientific evidence and EU values: initial recommendations to 
the European Commission, 16 January 2023’ 
‘Scientific advice for the determination of an EU-wide 2040 climate target and a greenhouse 
gas budget for 2030–2050, 15 June 2023’ 

The reports conclude that to keep the EU's greenhouse gas emissions budget (i.e. cumulative emissions) 
for the period 2030 to 2050 within a limit of 11-14 Gt CO2e, in line with limiting global warming to 1.5 °C 
(with  no  or  only  limited  and  temporary  exceedance  of  that  temperature),  the  EU  must  strive  for  net 
emissions reductions of 90-95% by 2040, relative to 1990 levels. The explored EU emission reduction 
pathways  considered  feasibility  and  fairness  aspects  of  EU  mitigation  efforts.  The  findings  were 
disseminated  through  various  media  channels  and  meetings  with  EU  policy  makers,  civil  society  and 
business organisations, national climate councils and other stakeholders. 

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Input to the Commission’s assessment of progress and policy consistency 

2.2.2 
2023 work programme: “The Advisory Board will continue its work to provide relevant and timely input 
to the European Commission’s report assessing the collective progress made by all Member States towards 
climate  neutrality  and  on  adaptation,  and  the  consistency  of  EU  and  national  measures  to  achieve  EU 
climate neutrality and progress on adaptation. In particular, the Advisory Board will continue developing 
its assessment methodology and implement it to identify and assess potential policy gaps, policy ambition 
gaps as policy implementation gaps, with a focus on the EU level. … Considering that the Commission’s 
progress report is due by 30 September 2023, the Advisory Board aims at a publication of this report by 
June 2023 at the latest.” 

Actions in 2023: The Advisory Board developed an assessment methodology and implemented it to 
identify  and  assess  EU  policy  consistency  (including  policy  gaps,  ambition  gaps  and  implementation 
gaps)  with  2050  climate  neutrality  objective  and  2030  climate  policy  targets.  While  this  activity  is 
connected to the European Commission’s assessments of progress and measures under articles 6-8 of 
the European Climate Law, it was not feasible to publish the resulting output in time to serve as an input 
to the European Commission’s climate action progress report in October 2023.  

In its first assessment of the EU progress and policy consistency towards climate neutrality, the Advisory 
Board strived to provide a thorough and robust assessment and a wide analytical scope covering EU’s 
key emitting sectors (energy, industry, transport, buildings, agriculture, and land use, land-use change 
and  forestry  (LULUCF))  and  several  cross-cutting  policies  (carbon  pricing,  whole-of-the-society 
approach, innovation, finance, governance, and skills/workforce). The Advisory Board’s assessment and 
recommendations will be published in a report early 2024 (see section 4.3 below). 

2.2.3  Supporting the implementation of legislative files of the Fit for 55 package 
2023 work programme: “Several of the legislative initiatives which were negotiated under the Fit for 55 
package  contain  references  to  the  Advisory  Board,  providing  an  opportunity  for  the  Advisory  Board  to 
provide input for their implementation and/or future review. These provisions are always formulated in 
such a way that they do not impose new tasks on the Advisory Board but provide an opportunity for the 
Advisory Board to provide inputs at its own initiative, to ensure consistency with its mandate under the 
European Climate Law.” 

Actions in 2023: The Advisory Board monitored policy developments under the Fit for 55 package, and 
considered new explicit references to its possible contributions to EU policy processes, as legislated in 
2023 e.g., in the LULUCF and F-gas regulations. The Fit for 55 policy and legislation relevant to mitigation, 
including the key aspects of their timely implementation and enforcement, have been included in the 
Advisory Board’s EU progress and policy consistency assessment.  

2.2.4  Further input to the EU’s energy network development planning process (TEN-E) 
2023  work  programme:  “The  Advisory  Board  will  continue  to  take  part  in  the  EU  energy  network 
development planning process set out in the revised TEN-E regulation. The Advisory Board will assess the 
consistency  of  the  new  draft  scenarios,  to  be  developed  by  ENTSOs  in  2023  to  underpin  their  network 
development  plans,  with  the  EU’s  2030  and  2050  climate  objectives,  as  well  as  with  its  key 
recommendations  to  ACER. On  that basis, it will  provide  an  opinion with  recommendations  to  ENTSOs 
within three months after reception of the draft scenarios. By end July 2023, the Advisory Board will also 
provide an opinion with recommendations on the cost-benefit analysis methodologies developed by the 
ENTSOs to assess and select projects for the ten-year network development plans.” 

Actions in 2023: With a link to the art. 11 of the TEN-E regulation on the cost-benefit analysis of energy 
infrastructure  projects,  the  Advisory  Board  has  assessed  the  draft  cost-benefit  analysis  methodology 

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prepared by the European network of transmission system operators for electricity (ENTSO-E) as well as 
other  key  building  blocks  under  the  Ten  Year  Network  Development  Plan  (TYNDP)  process.  This 
assessment was informed by the Advisory Board’s advice on scenario guidelines published in November 
2022,  and  resulted  in  a  publication:  ‘Towards  a  decarbonised  and  climate-resilient  EU  energy 
infrastructure:  recommendations  on  an  energy  system-wide  cost-benefit  analysis’,  of  15  March  2023. 
This  output  was  disseminated  through  targeted  stakeholder  meetings,  notably  with  the  European 
Commission, the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), ENTSO-E, 
and the European network of transmission system operators for gas (ENTSO-G).  

Regarding  the  consistency  of  the  draft  scenarios  with  EU  climate  policy  objectives,  this  work  will 
commence in December 2023, when the draft scenarios are published by ENTSO-E and ENTSO-G. In the 
meantime, through its secretariat, the Advisory Board is observing the newly created Scenarios External 
Technical Advisory Group (Scenarios ETAG) that is tasked with providing expert input to the development 
of the scenarios under the TYNDP process. 

2.2.5  Exploring  sectorial  mitigation  solutions  in  the  agriculture  sector,  with  links  to  the 

forestry sector and to adaptation  

2023  work  programme:  “The  Advisory  Board  will  advance  its  work  on  mitigation  solutions  and 
greenhouse gas emission pathways in the agriculture sector. The Advisory Board will identify and assess 
potential mitigation pathways, their potential contributions to further greenhouse gas reductions in that 
sector, their links with adaptation and resilience to climate change. In doing so, it will adopt a systemic 
approach  covering relevant socio-economic  aspects, such as  the demand side.  The assessment will also 
consider  the  interaction  between  agricultural  and  forestry  practices  to  mitigate  emissions  and  enhance 
carbon sinks. The Advisory Board would aim at delivering a first output on this matter by the end of 2023.” 

Actions in 2023: Assessment of the progress in terms emissions and removals from land sectors as well 
as EU policy consistency in the relevant sectors, with a focus on agriculture and LULUCF was conducted 
as part of EU progress and policy gaps assessment (see section 2.2.2.) and in exploration of options to 
enhance carbon removals (see section 2.2.6.). These parallel streams of work led to the Advisory Board’s 
decision to redefine the scope of a standalone output on agriculture and put it forward to the second 
half of 2024 (see section 4.5). 

2.2.6  Exploring options to enhance carbon dioxide removals in the EU 
2023 work programme: “Given the increasing role that carbon dioxide removals are expected to play for 
the EU to achieve climate neutrality, the Advisory Board will explore options for their enhancement. This 
will include an analysis of their governance at the EU and national level. The assessment will focus on two 
main pathways for enhanced carbon dioxide removals: enhancing carbon sinks in the LULUCF sector, and 
deploying technological solutions  such as  bio-based energy with carbon capture  and direct air capture. 
Following scoping work in 2023, the Advisory Board would aim at delivering a first output on this matter 
in 2024.” 

Actions  in  2023:  The  Advisory  Board  conducted  extensive  scoping  work  and  laid  methodological 
foundations for its assessment and advice on carbon dioxide removals. The scoping consisted, among 
others, on a literature review and external expertise gathering through events and meetings. In addition, 
the Advisory Board  monitored the dynamically changing  policy landscape in this area, notably in  the 
runup to the adoption of the Carbon Removals Certification Framework regulation. 

2.2.7  Assessing progress and policy consistency on climate adaptation 
2023 work programme: “Given  the  increasingly severe  impacts of climate change  on ecosystems  and 
society in the EU, the Advisory Board aims to provide policy-relevant recommendations on how to increase 

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adaptation efforts and enhance the EU’s resilience against current and future impacts. To this end, it will 
consider  metrics  to  measure  progress  towards  the  climate  adaptation  goals,  and  an  assessment  of  the 
degree of climate adaptation mainstreaming in relevant EU policies. Following scoping work in 2023, the 
Advisory Board would aim at delivering a first output on this matter in 2024.” 

Actions  in  2023:  Due  to  the  high  resource  intensity  of  the  assessment  dedicated  to  EU  mitigation 
progress and policy consistency, a parallel assessment of similar scope and depth focused on adaptation 
was  not  feasible.  The  scoping  work  in  2023  has  identified  the  pressing  challenges  linked  to  climate 
impacts and adaptation in the land use sectors, and will be developed in 2024 (see section 4.5). Further 
scoping work and exploration of potential policy gaps at EU level will also be conducted (see section 
4.6).  

In addition, in 2023 the Advisory Board’s adaptation expertise contributed to the output on cost-benefit 
analysis  of  energy  infrastructure  projects  as  part  of  the  Advisory  Board’s  mandate  under  the  TEN-E 
regulation (section 2.2.4). 

2.2.8  Engaging with experts and stakeholders 
2023 work programme: “The Advisory Board will continue to engage with and consult a range of key 
relevant stakeholders. It will maintain its regular dialogue with EU institutions (the European Commission, 
the European Parliament, and the Council of the EU) to closely monitor and improve understanding of the 
relevant policy processes and policy questions that could benefit from scientific advice… the Advisory Board 
will continue to engage with National Advisory Councils where relevant to identify areas for coordination 
and cooperation…. the Advisory Board aims to reach out to the scientific community to identify ways of 
collaborating  and  harvesting  the  relevant  data  and  knowledge  available  in  the  European  Union.  The 
Advisory Board intends for example to set up a network of experts, composed of members which have in-
depth expertise on the topics covered by the Advisory Board’s work programme. An option considered is to 
focus this network on experts from Central and Eastern European Member States, as this region is currently 
underrepresented in the composition of the Board. Finally, the Advisory Board will also interact with civil 
society representatives, such as environment, consumer and climate NGOs, as well as with private sector 
representatives, where relevant.” 

Actions in 2023: The Advisory Board continued its active engagement with experts and stakeholders 
through online and in-person meetings. The Advisory Board members have been actively disseminating 
their outputs in conferences and meetings with key EU institutions, notably the European Parliament, 
the  Council,  and  the  European  Commission.  It  has  also  interacted  with  business  and  civil  society 
organisations,  mainly  think  tanks  and  non-governmental  organisations.  Through  its  secretariat,  the 
Advisory  Board  has  made  further  links  to  the  International  Climate  Councils  Network  (ICCN).  An 
interactive  session  with  experts  from  Central  and  Eastern  European  Member  States  was  held  in 
November 2023.  

2.2.9  Response to relevant policy and science, and own establishment 
2023 work programme: “The Advisory Board will continue to follow up on political developments and 
new scientific insights and will provide relevant advice to EU policy makers where relevant, subject to time 
and resource availability.” 

Actions  in  2023:  The  Advisory  Board  chose  to  provide  the  EU  policy  makers  with  its  advice  on  the 
pressing EU policy aspects stemming from the energy crisis. This workstream resulted in the publication 
‘Addressing  the  energy  crisis  while  delivering  on  EU’s  climate  objectives: 
of  a  report  on 
recommendations to policy makers’, of 7 February 2023. 

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2023 work programme: “Whereas the Advisory Board made good progress in 2022 to define its main 
strategy  and  working  methodologies,  more  detailed  implementation  procedures  will  still  have  to  be 
elaborated and finalized in the course of 2023.” 

Actions in 2023: In terms of its own establishment the Advisory Board has established its own website: 
https://climate-advisory-board.europa.eu/ and visual identity, including the logo. It has also developed 
and  adopted  a  set  of  internal  policies  and  procedures,  related  to  stakeholder  engagement, 
communication, conflict of interest, and project management.  

3.  Policy agenda for 2024 

To maximise the relevance of its contributions to the EU climate policy framework, the Advisory Board 
aims to enshrine its annual work programme within the expected policy agenda for 2024. 

Based  on  its official communications in  the last  months of 2023,  it can  be  expected that in  2024 the 
European Commission will focus on: 

- 
- 

the implementation the legislative and policy files agreed under the Fit for 55 package; 
a  coordinated  preparation  of  2040  target  in  line  with  the  European  Climate  Law,  with  a 
communication in this matter expected in the first quarter of 2024; 

-  dialogues with industry, landowners and farmers; 
- 

further work on energy transition, notably through upgrading grids and infrastructure and just 
transition measures, with a focus on industrial, coal, and energy intensive regions; 
circular economy, raw materials, and decarbonisation of transport sector. 

- 

The European Commission will also interact with the EU Member States in the process leading up to the 
final submission of the updated national energy and climate plans expected in June 2024. The plans are 
delivery mechanisms of the EU collective climate ambition as embedded in the Governance Regulation 
and the European Climate Law.  

Regarding  the  Governance  Regulation,  following  the  public  consultation  launched  in  the  summer  of 
2023,  the  European  Commission  will  evaluate  the  act  with  a  view  of  rationalising  Member  States’ 
reporting obligations across the energy and climate acquis, including the new framework deriving from 
the Fit  for  55  package  and REPowerEU  action  plan. The revision of the European  Climate Law  is also 
forthcoming, notably to reflect the 2040 target. 

Based on the European Commission work programme for 2024, further policy and legislative progress 
is expected on key climate and energy files, notably: 

regulation establishing a Union certification framework for carbon removals (co-legislators), 
industrial carbon management strategy (European Commission), 
regulation to improve EU’s electricity market design (co-legislators), 

- 
- 
- 
-  gas package: directive and regulation pertaining to the internal markets for renewable and fossil 

- 

gases and for hydrogen (co-legislators), and 
Energy Taxation Directive: restructuring the EU framework for the taxation of energy products 
and electricity (council). 

Significant  policy-driven  scientific advance in the field of climate risk preparedness is expected to  be 
delivered  in  spring  2024.  Through  the  first  European  Climate  Risk  Assessment,  the  European 
Environment  Agency  will  provide  a  comprehensive  overview  of  current  and  future  climate  change 
impacts and risks related to the environment, economy and wider society in Europe. 

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In the international context, notably under the UNFCCC, the implications of the first global stocktake 
under the Paris Agreement are expected to set the tone of the EU’s external climate action. The European 
Commission will strive to advance the global carbon pricing system as well as global renewables and 
energy efficiency targets4. 

Looking into the next EU long-term budget cycle, further conceptual and strategic discussions on future 
multiannual financial framework and the common agricultural policy will be carried out, notably within 
the new political and executive set-up following the European elections. In June 2024, EU people will 
elect  720  members  that  will  represent  them  in  the  European  Parliament  until  2029.  Following  the 
elections, the European Parliament will vote to elect the new head of the European Commission and to 
approve the full team of commissioners. 

4.  2024 work programme 

4.1  Short overview of the 2024 work programme 
In 2024 the Advisory Board will continue providing scientific advice to EU climate policy, with a focus on 
the following activities:  

1.  EU  2040  target  –  follow  up  on  the  Advisory  Board’s  contribution  of  June  2023  and  the 

(upcoming) European Commission’s communication  

2.  Towards EU climate neutrality: progress, policy gaps and opportunities 
3.  Carbon dioxide removals in the EU 
4.  Strengthening climate mitigation and resilience of EU agriculture 
5.  Climate adaptation and resilience 
6.  Scenarios for the planning and development of EU’s energy-system wide infrastructure  
7.  Expert and stakeholder engagement  

The expected outputs will inform the short-term policy developments and implementation as well as 
mid-  and  long-term  discussions  on  the  next  multiannual  financial  framework,  common  agricultural 
policy, and the post-2030 climate policy architecture. 

The Advisory Board will strive to avoid parallel workstreams, i.e. time overlaps in the work leading up to 
the findings’ publication, so that sufficient time and other resources can be allocated to each of them. 
At the discretion of the Advisory Board and subject to available resources, additional activities may be 
undertaken by the Advisory Board in the course of 2024. These may stem from new scientific evidence 
and/or policy relevant questions that require timely consideration by the Advisory Board.  

4.2  Follow up on the Advisory Board’s 2023 advice on an EU 2040 target 
Following up on the publication of its advice report on 2040 emission reduction target published in June 
2023 (see section 2.2.1), the Advisory Board will continue monitoring the relevant policy developments 
at  the  EU  level.  It  will  actively  follow  discussions  expected  in  the  context  of  the  upcoming  European 
Commission’s communication on 2040 target, which will be a first step towards the legislative changes 
under the European Climate Law. 

4 https://commissioners.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-09/Mission-letter-Wopke-Hoekstra.pdf  

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The Advisory Board will maintain focus on this matter, and if necessary, reiterate its scientific insight in 
support of the EU policymaking, so that the EU is bestowed with a science-led 2040 target in time to 
further enable its net-zero transition by 2050. 

4.3  Towards EU climate neutrality: progress, policy gaps and opportunities 
Based  on  the  work  delivered  in  2023  (see  section  2.2.2  above)  the  Advisory  Board  will  publish  and 
disseminate its report on EU progress towards climate neutrality including policy consistency assessment 
with a view of EU’s achievement of the 2030 and 2050 climate goals. 

The Advisory Board aims to publish the report early 2024. It will be disseminated among the key target 
audience,  namely the European Commission,  the European  Parliament,  EU  Member  States, as well  as 
civil society organisations, academia, and business communities. 

4.4  Carbon dioxide removals in the EU 
According  to  the  latest  scientific  evidence,  carbon  dioxide  removals  are  necessary  to  counterbalance 
residual  emissions  within  the  EU  and  to  manage  global  temperature  overshoots.  Based  on  the  work 
commenced in 2023, the Advisory Board will explore options for carbon dioxide removals enhancement 
and map the related costs, risks and opportunities. This assessment involves analyses of the status and 
potential of carbon removals in the EU, as well as policy needs and recommendations for EU governance 
of  carbon  removals.  The  assessment  will  focus  on  two  main  pathways  for  enhanced  carbon  dioxide 
removals: enhancing carbon sinks in the LULUCF sector and deploying technological solutions such as 
carbon capture and storage. 

While  feeding  into  the  preparation  of  the  post-2030  EU  climate  policy  architecture,  in  which  both 
technological  and  LULUCF  removals  are  expected  to  play  a  pivotal  role,  this  Advisory  Board’s 
contribution reflects art. 17 of the LULUCF Regulation that invites the Advisory Board to provide scientific 
advice supporting EU’s climate ambition and measures linked to land-use and forestry sectors. In this 
context, the Advisory Board’s work on carbon dioxide removals is synergistic with its work on agriculture 
(see section 4.5) and adaptation (see section 4.6). 

The Advisory Board aims at delivering a first output on carbon dioxide removals in the first half of 2024. 

4.5  Strengthening climate mitigation and resilience of EU agriculture  
The Advisory Board will advance its work on mitigation solutions and greenhouse gas emission pathways 
in  the  agriculture  sector.  This  process  will  be  complemented  by  findings  from  the  adaptation  and 
resilience workstream (see 4.6).  

The assessment will cover potential mitigation pathways in agriculture, with their potential contributions 
to greenhouse gas emission reductions and their links with adaptation and resilience to climate change. 
The Advisory Board will adopt a systemic approach covering relevant socio-economic aspects, such as 
the demand side within the food systems. It will also consider the interaction between agricultural and 
forestry  practices,  as  well  as  wetlands  and  peatlands  potentials  to  mitigate  emissions  and  enhance 
carbon sinks. In this way, the Advisory Board’s contribution on agriculture will connect to the ongoing 
work on carbon dioxide removals (see section 4.4).  

The  Advisory  Board  expects  to  deliver  an  output  on  mitigation  and  adaptation  in  agriculture  in  the 
second half of 2024. 

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4.6  Climate adaptation and resilience  
As mentioned in section 4.5, the Advisory Board will assess adaptation and resilience aspects of the EU 
agriculture and food systems, building on the scoping work conducted in 2023. This contribution will be 
integrated  with  the  output  of  the  assessment  of  the  mitigation  and  adaptation  pathways  in  the 
agriculture sector. 

Then, building on the learning from this first contribution on agriculture, the Advisory Board will further 
explore potential EU policy gaps in the context of the obligation of the EU and its Member States to 
enhance  their  adaptive  capacity,  strengthen  resilience,  and  reduce  vulnerability  to  climate  change  in 
accordance with Article 5 of the European Climate Law and Article 7 of the Paris Agreement. 

4.7  Scenarios for the planning and development of EU’s energy infrastructure 
Regulation  (EU)  2022/869  (TEN-E  Regulation)  requires  that  ENTSO-G  and  ENTSO-E  jointly  develop 
scenarios  projecting  the  long-term  energy  demand  and  supply  including  infrastructure  use  in  the 
European  energy  system  in  the  context  of  their  respective  Ten-Year  Network  Development  Plans 
(TYNDPs). Scenarios are a prerequisite for any study analysing the future of the European energy system. 

Building on its two reports published in 2022 and 2023, the Advisory Board will provide its contribution 
to the draft scenarios submitted by ENTSO-E and ENTSO-G to ACER and the Member States under the 
art. 12 of the revised TEN-E regulation. They will focus on alignment of the scenario input data and the 
underlying assumptions with the EU’s net-zero and intermediate climate targets, including the relevant 
sectoral targets and consideration of climate and weather impacts on the energy systems.  

The  Advisory  Board  aims  to  publish  and  disseminate  its  output  in  the  first  half  of  2024,  so  that  it 
contributes in time to other institutional assessments as set out in the TEN-E regulation. 

4.8  Continued engagement with experts and stakeholders  
The Advisory Board will continue its dialogue with a wide range of experts and stakeholders across the 
EU and beyond. The dialogue will help to scope the new activities and disseminate the findings from 
accomplished tasks. 

The Advisory Board will keep up the engagement with the national scientific climate councils, with a view 
of taking stock of national progress and challenges and nurturing the network of climate advisory bodies 
across  the  EU.  It  will  continue  its  dialogue  with  Central  and  Eastern  European  scientific  and  climate 
stakeholder community. 

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