The impacts of climate change are being felt on all continents of the world: temperatures are rising, glaciers are melting and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense. There is no doubt that urgent action is needed to avoid further risks for our planet and for future generations. But taking climate action is also an opportunity, a chance to transform our economy and create a more climate-resilient, low-carbon environment.
The European Union has long been a driving force in climate action, both domestically and internationally. Indeed, the EU is taking action to curb greenhouse gas emissions in all areas of its activity. This means more efficient use of less polluting energy, cleaner and more balanced transport options, more environmentally-friendly land-use and agriculture, more sustainable and resilient cities, and fewer emissions from all sectors of our economy.
On 23 September, world leaders will meet in New York at a Climate Summit organised by UN Secretary General Ban-Ki moon. This is an important milestone in the run-up to a global climate agreement due to be concluded next year in Paris. It is an opportunity for the EU to reiterate its commitment to addressing global warming and demonstrate EU climate action in all the identified action areas of the Climate Summit: agriculture, forestry, cities, energy, financing, pollutants, resilience and transport.
This website presents some examples of the EU’s most successful policies, legislation and initiatives designed to help achieve the internationally agreed goal of keeping the global average temperature increase below 2°C compared to pre-industrial times. The list is by no means exhaustive but gives an idea of the extent of our activities and aims to provide examples of interest and inspire further action around the world.
