The EU has set itself targets to progressively reduce its greenhouse gas emissions up to 2050.

Key climate and energy targets are set in the:

• 2020 climate and energy package
• 2030 climate and energy framework

These targets have been defined to put the EU on the path towards becoming a climate-neutral economy as detailed in the 2050 long-term strategy and enshrined in the European Climate Law.

On 14 July 2021, the European Commission adopted a series of legislative proposals setting out how it intends to achieve climate neutrality in the EU by 2050, including the intermediate target of an at least 55% net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The package proposes to revise several pieces of EU climate legislation, including the EU ETS, Effort Sharing Regulation, transport and land use legislation, setting out in real terms the ways in which the Commission intends to reach EU climate targets under the European Green Deal.

The EU tracks its progress on cutting emissions through regular monitoring and reporting.

The EU has set itself the goal of becoming a climate-resilient society by 2050, fully adapted to the unavoidable impacts of climate change.

The plan to achieve this is set out in the EU Strategy on Climate Adaptation.

Before proposing new policies, the Commission carefully assesses their potential impacts.