Designing the EU 2040 Climate Target

The EU has to adopt a legally binding climate target for 2040 in the coming years. The European Climate Law obliges the EU to adopt such a target. With the recent report of the European Scientific Advisory Body on Climate Change (ESABCC) on a 2040 target, the political discussion has entered a new phase. The ESABCC recommends an EU 2040 climate target of minus 90–95 % and an EU emission budget of 11–14 Gt for the time 2030–2050.

A new report by the Ecologic Institute and the Oeko-Institut discusses the level of ambition of an EU 2040 climate target. The report analyses the implications of a 2040 climate target for Member States and sectors. It also discusses the political context in which the EU 2040 climate target will be negotiated.