Cutting EU greenhouse gas emissions: National targets for 2030  

The Effort Sharing Regulation sets national targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions to help the EU reach net zero emissions by 2050, Society.

To help fight climate change, the EU has set ambitious targets to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The EU wants to reach climate neutrality by 2050 and this target, along with an interim target of 55% emission reduction by 2030, are set in the European Climate Law. The EU has launched various initiatives to reach these targets. One of them is the Effort Sharing Regulation, which is being updated as part of the Fit for 55 legislative package.

What is effort sharing?

The Effort Sharing Regulation sets binding targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions for each EU country in sectors not covered by the Emissions Trading Scheme, such as transport, agriculture, buildings and waste management. These sectors account for the majority of the EU’s greenhouse gases (about 60% of total EU emissions).

To guarantee that all countries participate in the EU's efforts to reduce emissions coming from the above-mentioned sectors, the Effort Sharing Regulation establishes binding annual greenhouse gas emission targets for EU countries for the period 2021–2030 as well as sets the rules for determining the annual emissions allocations and how to evaluate progress.

The current reduction target for the sectors covered by the Effort Sharing Regulation is 29% by 2030. As part of the raised ambitions under the European Green Deal, this target should be revised up. On 17 May, Parliament’s environment committee voted in favour of plans to increase the target to 40% by 2030.

What are the proposed national targets?

As the capacity for cutting emissions varies by EU country, this has been taken into account by basing the targets on the countries' gross domestic product per capita. The proposed 2030 targets would range from -10% to -50% compared to 2005 levels and be in line with the EU's general 40% reduction target.

Source: European Commission proposal for update to Regulation (EU) 2018/842

A strategy to cut emissions will be drawn up for each EU country to make sure they decrease emissions at a constant pace throughout the period.

However, some flexibility is possible in the current system. For example, EU countries are able to bank, borrow and transfer annual emission allocations between each other from one year to another. The European Commission has proposed to set up an additional reserve that would include surplus removals of CO2 by EU countries in excess of their targets under the land use and forestry sector regulation. Member states struggling to reach their national emission reduction targets would be able to draw on this reserve, provided some conditions are met. This could be, for example, if the EU as a whole had reached its 2030 climate target.

What does the Parliament propose?

Members of Parliament's environment committee want to have more transparency and accountability on EU countries’ emissions reductions, as well as less flexibility on banking, borrowing or transferring allowances. They also want to abolish the additional reserve proposed by the Commission.

Other initiatives to cut greenhouse gas emissions

Other measures exist to help the EU meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change:

• Reducing car emissions: new CO2 targets for cars explained
• Carbon leakage: prevent firms from avoiding emissions rules
• Emissions from planes and ships: facts and figures (infographic)

Check out the infographics on the EU's progress towards reaching its 2020 climate change targets.

Find out more 

• Check legislative progress 
• Briefing: revising the Effort-Sharing Regulation for 2021-2030 
• European Commission: increasing the ambition of the EU’s Effort Sharing Regulation 
• FAQ: Effort Sharing Regulation  
• Climate change 
• EU responses to climate change
• EU and the Paris agreement: towards climate neutrality
• EU Climate Law: MEPs confirm deal on climate neutrality by 2050
• Infographic: timeline of climate change negotiations
• Climate change: raise global ambitions to achieve strong outcome at COP26
• Europe’s one trillion climate finance plan
• Green deal for Europe: First reactions from MEPs
• Parliament supports European Green Deal and pushes for even higher ambitions
• The European Parliament declares climate emergency
• EU defines green investments to boost sustainable finance
• How to increase green investment in the EU
• Why is EU funding for regions important?
• EU environmental policy to 2030: a systemic change
• Green Deal: key to a climate-neutral and sustainable EU
• What is carbon neutrality and how can it be achieved by 2050?
• Mitigating climate change with the EU's clean energy policy
• Reducing carbon emissions: EU targets and measures
• The EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and its reform in brief
• Cutting EU greenhouse gas emissions: national targets for 2030  
• Climate change: better using EU forests as carbon sinks
• Carbon leakage: prevent firms from avoiding emissions rules
• Reducing car emissions: new CO2 targets for cars and vans explained
• Just Transition Fund: help EU regions adapt to green economy
• Renewable hydrogen: what are the benefits for the EU?
• Climate change in Europe: facts and figures
• Greenhouse gas emissions by country and sector (infographic)
• Infographic: how climate change is affecting Europe
• Emissions from planes and ships: facts and figures (infographic)
• CO2 emissions from cars: facts and figures (infographics)
• EU progress towards 2020 climate change goals (infographic)
• Sustainable forestry: Parliament’s work to fight deforestation
• Endangered species in Europe: facts and figures (infographic)
• How to preserve biodiversity: EU policy (video)
• Creating a sustainable food system: the EU's strategy

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