Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in the European Union

The report evaluates the European Union's progress toward its '20-20-20' targets and its long-term 2050 goals. While current policies are expected to lead the EU to surpass its 2020 greenhouse gas reduction and renewable energy targets, the report finds that additional measures are necessary to achieve the 2020 energy efficiency target and the 2050 greenhouse gas reduction goal.

• Based on current policies, the European Union is projected to exceed its 2020 targets for renewable energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, but it will need further measures to reach its 2020 energy efficiency target and its long-term GHG reduction goal for 2050.
• The EU's '20-20-20' package consists of three targets for 2020: a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (potentially rising to 30 percent if other developed nations make comparable commitments), a 20 percent share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption, and a 20 percent improvement in energy efficiency.
• The EU has established a long-term objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 95 percent from 1990 levels by the year 2050.
• Key mandatory or incentive-based policies driving GHG reductions include the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), the Renewable Energy Directive, and the Biofuels Directive. Potential tools to bridge existing target gaps include the Energy Efficiency Directive, reforms to the EU ETS, and a proposed Energy Taxation Directive to restructure taxes on energy products.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in the European Union. https://www.wri.org/research/greenhouse-gas-mitigation-european-union

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in the European Union. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/greenhouse-gas-mitigation-european-union.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in the European Union |url=https://www.wri.org/research/greenhouse-gas-mitigation-european-union |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendgreenhouse, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in the European Union}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/greenhouse-gas-mitigation-european-union}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }