The European Union's commitments

Evolution of the 2030 climate and energy framework

As part of the Green Pact for Europe and the European Climate Act (June 2021), the European Union has set the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest, and to this end has committed to raising its target for reducing its net GHG emissions by at least 55% in 2030 compared with 1990 (instead of at least 40% previously).

To achieve this, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have adopted more ambitious sectoral targets than those defined in the 2018 revision of the Energy Action Framework:

• target of 42.5% renewable energies (with an additional indicative target of 2.5% to reach 45%) in gross final energy consumption (32% previously) - (see Renewable energies in France in 2024 as part of the follow-up to Directive (EU) 2018/2001);
• reduction of at least 38% in final energy consumption and 40.6% in primary energy consumption compared with the Baseline 2007 reference scenario (see glossary) - (32.5% in primary and final energy previously).

European carbon market, effort sharing and revision of the 2030 framework

The two main European climate instruments mobilized to reduce the EU's GHG emissions are the European Emissions Trading Scheme ("EU ETS") covering emissions from the energy, industry and intra-European air transport sectors, and the Effort Sharing Regulation"(ESR), which defines differentiated national reduction targets for emissions from sectors outside the historical carbon market (transport, buildings, agriculture, waste, non-EU ETS installations).

With the adoption of the new European emissions reduction target of 55% net by 2030 compared with 1990, new targets have been adopted for these two instruments as part of the "Fit for 55" legislative package: the targeted reductions are respectively 62% for sectors covered by the EU ETS (instead of 43% previously) and 40% for other sectors covered by the "effort sharing" (instead of 30% previously).

Share of renewable energies in member states' gross final energy consumption

Note: this indicator is calculated according to the standards defined in Directive (EU) 2018/2001. In particular, it includes statistical transfers between member states (purchase of renewable energy shares).
Source: Eurostat, 2025

GHG emissions from stationary installations covered by the EU ETS by type of activity (2015-2024)

Note: "Other" includes in particular the production of glass, lime, paper, ceramics and non-ferrous metals.
Source: EEA, 2025

GHG emission trends in the EU-27 and 2020 and 2030 targets

Note: the blue arrow shows the evolution of GHG emissions compared to 1990, while the green arrows show the 2020 and 2030 targets.
Sources: EEA and European Commission, 2025

Evolution of primary energy consumption in the EU-27 and 2020 and 2030 targets

Note: the blue arrow shows the evolution of current energy consumption in relation to the 2007 reference scenario; the green arrows show the 2020 and 2030 targets in relation to the 2007 reference scenario.
Sources: EEA and European Commission, 2025