Climate action : leading the way : from plans to implementation for a green and competitive Europe : progress report 2024

The annual Climate Action Progress Report is a good occasion to reflect on progress made in the last 12 months. This latest edition confirms that the EU is making good progress towards its climate goals, with significant emissions reductions. Net greenhouse gas emissions in the EU fell by a remarkable 8% in 2023 compared to 2022, the largest cut in several decades (excluding the exceptional fall during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Increased renewable energy production at the expense of coal and gas generation was the primary driving force, although sizeable reductions were achieved by industrial sectors too. These findings are very promising and by maintaining this pace of mitigation, the EU can reach its 2030 targets. There is no time to lose. The growing impacts of climate change are a stark reminder of the urgency and rationale for climate action. Summer 2024 was the warmest on record. Central Europe, Northern Italy and Southern Spain have been devastated by extreme flooding while unprecedented heatwaves gripped much of southern Europe and wildfires ravaged over 370 000 hectares of forest in the first nine months of the year. Rising global tension and geopolitical uncertainty make the case even stronger for building the EU's resilience and for investing in a competitive net zero economy.