A step closer to Paris: an assessment of greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 associated with a 35% renewable energy target and an 35% energy efficiency target
The EU has set key targets for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions, as well as for the share of renewable energy and the improvement of energy efficiency. The aim of the EU is to reduce GHG emissions with at least 40% by 2030, compared to 1990 emission levels. However, these targets were agreed before the importance of achieving deeper emissions cuts to keep global temperature increases below 1.5 °C was stressed in the Paris Agreement. Ecofys, a Navigant company, commissioned by the European Climate Foundation, has calculated the impacts of the 35% renewable energy and the 35% energy efficiency target proposed by the European Parliament and showed that achieving such higher targets would result in emission cuts of approximately 50%.