21.4.2023
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
L 107/3
(7)
Through the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2021/1119, the Union has enshrined the objective of achieving a balance between anthropogenic economy-wide emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases domestically within the Union by 2050 and, as appropriate, of achieving negative emissions thereafter in legislation.
That Regulation also establishes a binding Union domestic reduction target for net greenhouse gas emissions (emissions after deduction of removals) of at least 55 % compared to 1990 levels by 2030.
All sectors of the economy are expected to contribute to achieving that target, including the land use, land use change and forestry (‘LULUCF’) sector.
In order to ensure that sufficient mitigation efforts are deployed in other sectors up to 2030, the contribution of net removals to the 2030 Union climate target is limited to 225 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
In the context of Regulation (EU) 2021/1119, the Commission reaffirmed in a corresponding statement its intention to propose a revision of Regulation (EU) 2018/841 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8), in line with the ambition to increase net carbon removals to levels above 300 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in the LULUCF sector by 2030.
(8)
In order to contribute to the increased ambition to reduce greenhouse gas net emissions from at least 40 % to at least 55 % compared to 1990 levels, and to ensure that the LULUCF sector makes a sustainable and predictable long-term contribution to the Union climate neutrality objective, binding targets for the increase of net greenhouse gas removals should be set out for each Member State in the LULUCF sector in the period from 2026 to 2030, resulting in a target of 310 millions of tonnes of CO2 equivalent of net removals for the Union as a whole in 2030.
The methodology used to establish the national targets for 2030 should take into account the gap between the Union target and the average greenhouse gas emissions and removals from the years 2016, 2017 and 2018, reported by each Member State in its 2020 submission, and reflect the current mitigation performance of the LULUCF sector, and each Member State’s share of the managed land area in the Union, taking into account the capacity of that Member State to improve its performance in the sector via land management practices or changes in land use that benefit the climate and biodiversity.
An overachievement by Member States would further contribute to meeting the Union’s climate objectives.
(9)
The binding targets for the increased ambition of net greenhouse gas emissions and removals should be determined for each Member State by a linear trajectory.
The trajectory should start in 2022 at the average of greenhouse gas emissions reported by that Member State during 2021, 2022 and 2023, and end in 2030 on the target set out for that Member State.
In order to ensure the collective achievement of the 2030 Union target while taking into account the interannual variability of the greenhouse gas emissions and removals in the LULUCF sector, it is appropriate to set for each Member State a commitment to achieve a sum of net greenhouse gas emissions and removals for the period from 2026 to 2029 (the ‘budget for 2026 to 2029’) in addition to the national target for the year 2030.
(10)
The accounting rules set out in Articles 6, 7, 8 and 10 of Regulation (EU) 2018/841 were designed to determine the extent to which mitigation performance in the LULUCF sector could contribute to the 2030 Union target for reduction of greenhouse gas net emissions of 40 %, which did not include the LULUCF sector.
In order to simplify the regulatory framework for that sector, the current accounting rules should not apply after 2025, and the compliance with national targets of the Member States should be verified on the basis of reported greenhouse gas emissions and removals.
This would provide methodological consistency with Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (9), with Regulation (EU) 2018/842 of the European Parliament and of the Council (10), and with the new target for reduction of greenhouse gas net emissions of at least 55 %, which includes the LULUCF sector.
(8) Regulation (EU) 2018/841 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry in the 2030 climate and energy framework, and amending Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 and Decision No 529/2013/EU (OJ L 156, 19.6.2018, p. 1).
(9) Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading with the Union and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32).
(10) Regulation (EU) 2018/842 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on binding annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States from 2021 to 2030 contributing to climate action to meet commitments under the Paris Agreement and amending Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 (OJ L 156, 19.6.2018, p. 26).