16 September 2020
European Commission proposes raising 2030 climate target to at least 55 percent
President Ursula Von der Leyen officially called for a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of at least 55% to 2030 in her 16 September State of the European Union speech.
This is a significant increase from today’s 40% target and would set the EU on a credible trajectory towards climate neutrality. The European Commission’s impact assessment showed the target is achievable and beneficial for Europe.
This proposal now needs to be agreed by National Governments and the European Parliament in the next months.
Implementing this objective will require boosting renewables, increasing energy efficiency and reinforcing the Emissions Trading System. The European Commission is scheduled to table legislation, including a recast Renewable Energy Directive, in June 2021.
WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson stated: “President von der Leyen’s announcement is great news. Wind energy is competitive, scalable and the wind industry is ready to deliver on these new targets.”
