The package of measures, which have been dubbed the 'Fit for 55' policies, will face many months of negotiations between the European Parliament and heads of the 27 member states.
The measures are among the most ambitious, aiming to more than halve emissions in the medium-term (by the end of the decade) rather than looking ahead to 2040, 2050 or even further to meet decarbonisation targets. By 2019, the EU had cut its emissions by 24 per cent from 1990 levels.
“Everybody has a target, but translating it into policies that lead to real emissions reductions, that’s the most difficult part,” said Jos Delbeke, a policymaker who was involved with developing some of the EU’s flagship climate measures.
In addition to electricity generation – which is already cutting emissions quickly – the 12 Fit for 55 policies will cover carbon-intensive areas such as heating (buildings produce a third of EU emissions) and transport (cars, aircraft and ships produce...