To advance the so-called ecological transition, the European Union has adopted new common standards, through the so-called “Fit for 55” package, to reduce the carbon footprint. The goal is to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. How will these new rules influence the way Europeans live, work and travel? What will life be like in the EU in 2030?
1. Cleaner energy for homes
Any plan to reduce emissions in the EU must start by reducing the carbon impact of the energy sector, which powers buildings, industries and transport. Today, this sector accounts for 75% of all EU emissions.
Under the new rules, in 2030 Europeans will obtain 42.5% of all their energy from renewable sources, from solar and wind to hydroelectric and geothermal. Renewable energy is cheap to generate, can be produced in the EU and benefits from free and infinite natural resources.
As until now the use of renewable energy has been uneven in the different economic sectors, the new rules aim to establish specific objectives for each sector: for example, defining the proportion of renewable energy that will be used in buildings or renewable hydrogen that will be used by the industry.
Switching to renewable energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector and also improves air quality and human health.
The new legislation will also address, for the first time, methane emissions generated in the energy sector, imposing stricter limits and making monitoring and reporting mandatory.
2. Cars will pollute less
Road vehicles are currently the largest source of transport emissions in the EU, accounting for 71% of the total.
In 2030, emissions from new cars and vans must be halved on average compared to 2021. Five years later, new cars and vans sold in the EU must be zero-emission.
The new rules to green the sector will come into force in stages, giving manufacturers the opportunity to adapt to them.
New vehicles, whether electric or powered by alternative fuels such as hydrogen, will need places and infrastructure to refuel and refuel. That is why there are plans to build many more charging and refueling points throughout the EU by 2030.
3. Buildings will not emit CO2
Buildings are today responsible for more than a third of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. Reducing emissions from buildings, whether through lower energy consumption or increased use of renewable energy, is crucial.
The proposed new rules set more ambitious energy efficiency standards for residential and non-residential buildings. Under those standards, all new buildings would be zero-emission by 2030 and energy performance certificates for such buildings would be mandatory.
New residential buildings should have solar energy installations. There will also be a greater number of charging points and parking spaces for bicycles and electric cars.
The legislation also aims to encourage property owners across the EU to renovate their buildings, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that all EU buildings are zero-emission by 2050.
4. Greener building materials
The production of cement, steel and glass requires large amounts of energy and has a high environmental cost. EU legislation provides financial incentives for these industries to reduce their emissions.
Under the new rules, a separate carbon market will be created to cover companies that sell fossil fuels for use in buildings, road transport and small industry.
Due to high carbon prices, there is a risk that certain energy-intensive industries will increase their production outside the EU, in countries with less strict climate policies. To address this risk, known as “carbon leakage”, importers of certain products subject to the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) will have to make up the difference in the carbon price from 2026.
5. Appliances with less energy consumption
Producing energy cleanly is only half the battle; Not wasting it is just as important. In fact, saving energy is the most profitable solution for an environmentally friendly energy sector.
Household appliances are just one of the areas targeted by EU energy efficiency legislation. Other ways to save energy include tailored building retrofits for better insulation, implementation of smart meters for utilities, improved monitoring and certification of energy systems, and technological advances to reduce energy consumption in transportation.
6. Fly with less carbon footprint
Today, aviation depends almost exclusively on fossil fuels. Air travel has a big impact on the EU’s emissions record. For example, a round-trip flight from Lisbon to New York generates approximately the same level of emissions as an average EU citizen heating their home for an entire year.
Under the new rules, aircraft fuel suppliers will have to gradually increase the proportion of sustainable fuels (such as synthetic fuels or advanced biofuels) they distribute.
Flights within the EU will continue to be included in the EU emissions trading system, which offers incentives to airlines to reduce their emissions.
For flights from the EU to the rest of the world, there is another measure: airlines must offset emissions in accordance with standards defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
7. More respectful maritime transport
In addition to setting a carbon price for maritime transport, the new rules will require ships calling at European ports and weighing more than 5,000 gross tonnes (whether cargo or cruise ships) to gradually reduce their emissions at least by now. 2030.
Like aviation, the maritime sector predominantly uses fossil fuels. The new legislation will encourage the use of more sustainable fuels, particularly for larger ships, which generate 90% of all maritime sector emissions. Some exceptions will apply, for example for fishing vessels.
Additionally, from 2030, moored ships must have access to shore-based recharging facilities to mitigate air pollution in ports, which are often close to densely populated areas.
8. Nature as an ally against climate change
While the top priority is to rapidly reduce emissions, removing CO2 from the atmosphere will also help reduce our carbon footprint and help the EU achieve its goal of becoming climate neutral.
Trees and other plants act as natural sinks that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and capture it as part of their natural photosynthesis. Therefore, the EU has set out to progressively increase its natural sinks and has set an ambitious new target of increasing net removal by 25% compared to the level of removal achieved in the EU as a whole in 2019.