16.5.2023
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
L 130/53
(3)
Tackling climate and other environment-related challenges and reaching the objectives of the Paris Agreement are at the core of the European Green Deal.
The value of the European Green Deal has only grown in light of the very severe effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and economic well-being of the Union’s citizens.
(4)
The Union committed to reducing the Union’s economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 % compared to 1990 levels by 2030, as set out in the submission to the UNFCCC on behalf of the European Union and its Member States on the update of the nationally determined contribution of the European Union and its Member States.
(5)
Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5) has enshrined in legislation the objective of economy-wide climate neutrality at the latest by 2050.
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.
(6)
The Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of 2018 on the impacts of global temperature increases of 1,5 °C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways provides a strong scientific basis for tackling climate change and illustrates the need to step up climate action.
That report confirms that, in order to reduce the likelihood of extreme weather events, greenhouse gas emissions need to be urgently reduced, and that climate change needs to be limited to a global temperature increase of 1,5 °C.
Moreover, if mitigation pathways, consistent with limiting global warming to 1,5 °C above pre-industrial levels, are not rapidly activated, much more expensive and complex adaptation measures will have to be taken to avoid the impacts of higher levels of global warming.
The contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC entitled ‘Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis’ recalls that climate change is already affecting every region on Earth and projects that in the coming decades climate change will increase in all regions.
That report stresses that, unless there are immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, limiting warming to close to 1,5 °C or even 2 °C will be beyond reach.
(7)
The Union has been pursuing an ambitious policy on climate action and has put in place a regulatory framework to achieve its 2030 target for greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
The legislation implementing that target consists, inter alia, of Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (6), which establishes a system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Union (‘EU ETS’) and delivers harmonised pricing of greenhouse gas emissions at Union level for energy-intensive sectors and subsectors, of Regulation (EU) 2018/842 of the European Parliament and of the Council (7), which introduces national targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and of Regulation (EU) 2018/841 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8), which requires Member States to compensate greenhouse gas emissions from land use with the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
(8)
While the Union has substantially reduced its domestic greenhouse gas emissions, the greenhouse gas emissions embedded in imports to the Union have been increasing, thereby undermining the Union’s efforts to reduce its global greenhouse gas emissions footprint.
The Union has a responsibility to continue playing a leading role in global climate action.
(5) 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 (‘European Climate Law’) (OJ L 243, 9.7.2021, p. 1).
(6) 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 within the Union and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32).
(7) 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).
(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).