On Thursday, September 17, 2020, in order to keep, in accordance with the Paris agreement, the rise in global temperature well below 2°C and to continue efforts to maintain it at 1.5°C, the Commission proposed a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

The assessment of Member States’ national energy and climate plans shows that Member States are accelerating their energy and climate transition. It indicates that the share of renewable energy in the EU could reach 33.7% by 2030, exceeding the current target of at least 32%. On energy efficiency, there is still a lack of ambition: 2.8% for primary energy consumption and 3.1% for final energy consumption, compared to the target of at least 32.5%. To address this, the Commission will take action, in particular in the context of the forthcoming “renovation wave” initiative in the building sector, the review and possible revision of the Energy Efficiency Directive, and guidelines for the principle of the primacy of energy efficiency.
Guidelines for Europe’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic will depend on this objective of the European Commission. Member States will be able to draw on the €750 billion NextGenerationEU Recovery Fund and the next long-term EU budget to make these investments in the green transition.