Climate action : Building a world we like, with a climate we like

The EU has consistently set the pace in tackling climate change and encouraging moves towards a low-carbon economy. Its efforts in this area date back to 1990 when the EU committed to stabilising its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at that year’s levels by 2000, a target which it met. Since then, the Union has put in place a whole series of policy measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, many through the European climate change programme set up in 2000. In addition, Member States have taken specific national action. EU leaders have set some of the most ambitious climate and energy targets for 2020 and the EU is the first region in the world to have passed binding legislation to ensure these are achieved. In October 2014, EU leaders strengthened their commitment to make the European Union’s economy and energy system more competitive, secure and sustainable by adopting the 2030 climate and energy framework. For the longer term, the EU has fixed ambitious emissions targets for 2050. This publication is a part of a series that explains what the EU does in different policy areas, why the EU is involved and what the results are