EU is unlikely to hit Paris Agreement target without urgently phasing out fossil fuels, generating more low-carbon electricity, and cutting consumer demand for oversized vehicles.
Even though the European Union’s climate policies are some of the most aggressive around the globe, EASAC’s latest report finds they are unlikely to deliver emission reductions quickly enough to limit climate warming and meet Paris Agreement targets.
In a new report on transportation and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC), a body that represents the national science academies of the EU, Norway and Switzerland, finds that “current EU policies are unlikely to deliver emission reductions quickly enough to limit climate warming to less than 2°C”. GHG emissions from transportation need to be addressed urgently as they represent 24% of all GHG emissions from the EU. Of this 24%, road transport dominates, making up nearly three-quarters of this total.