6 December, 2018

Scaling up climate action in the European Union: Key opportunities for transitioning to a zero emissions society

Authors

Andrzej Ancygier, Tina Aboumahboub, Anne Zimmer, Ursula Fuentes Hutfilter, Robert Brecha, Michiel Schaefer, Bill Hare, Matt Beer, Frederic Hans, Hanna Fekete, Keno Riechers, Takeshi Kuramochi, Niklas Höhne, Nicolas Fux, Thibaud Lemercier, Tom Berg, Yvonne Deng, Kornelis Blok

The European Union‘s targets and policies are not yet compatible with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit. This report, the second country assessment in the Climate Action Tracker’s Scaling Up Climate Action Series, analyses areas where the European Union could accelerate its climate action. The report illustrates GHG emissions reductions from such actions, along with other benefits.

Scaling up climate action in the European Union’s electricity supply, residential building and passenger road and rail transport —covering around 60% of the EU’s current energy related emissions—can decarbonise these sectors by 2050.

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The reductions in these three sectors alone are enough to reduce EU28 total greenhouse gas emissions by up to 52% below 1990 levels in 2030. This shows that the EU can and needs to ratchet up its 2030 target to make it consistent with the Paris Agreement.

To get on track toward Paris Agreement-compatible emissions reductions, the EU needs to urgently scale up climate action in the transport and buildings sectors, decarbonising them by 2050, with decarbonisation of electricity generation and electrification of transport, heating and cooling as essential steps.


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To get on track toward Paris Agreement-compatible emissions reductions, the EU needs to urgently scale up climate action in the transport and buildings sectors, decarbonising them by 2050, with decarbonisation of electricity generation and electrification of transport, heating and cooling as essential steps.

cat-2018-12-06-eu-scalingup-fig4b-3panel2050.original.png

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