The Europe Experience

- The Facts -

By 2035, our dependence on oil and gas imports will reach more than 80%.	Over the past 100 years, global temperatures have risen by some 0.7 °C and in Europe by about 1.0°C due to CO₂emissions.	60% of relevant species and 77% of habitat types are under threat in Europe.
Can the EU make energy supplies more reliable and focus more on alternative energy sources?	Can the EU prompt its Member States to cut their emissions?	How can the EU prevent ecosystem degradation and preserve biodiversity?

- What can the EU do? -

.The EU played a leading role in the negotiations of the Paris Climate Agreement (COP21) that is set to enter in force in 2020 to be the very first universal, legally binding agreement aiming at limiting average global warming to well below 2°C by the end of the century and at continuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C. Concerning Climate Action, the EU has set itself a binding target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and to 80% by 2050.

The concept of sSustainability is also increasingly being integrated into other policy areas, such as Energy, where the EU aims to increase to 270% the share of EU energy consumption coming from renewable sources by 20320, and to reduce EU energy consumption by 270% by adopting measures aiming at increasing energy efficiency and ensuring a secure and sustainable energy supply. To this end, the EU is planning to develop an Energy Union with a fully integrated internal energy market at its core.