About
The European Climate Law will transform political promises into a binding legal obligation for EU institutions and national governments. It writes the climate neutrality target for 2050 into law, and the aim is that the law will give European citizens and businesses the predictability, transparency and accountability which they need for a collective transformation.
The law includes a climate-neutrality objective where the EU shall reach climate neutrality by 2050. This includes that emissions shall be reduced to net zero by that date, and the EU shall aim to achieve negative emissions thereafter. Further, it sets out an ambitious 2030 climate target of at least 55 % reduction of net emissions of greenhouse gases as compared to 1990 levels, with clarity on the contribution of emission reductions and removals.
EU's climate law also includes a process for setting a 2040 climate target. When making a legislative proposal for the 2040 target, the Commission shall publish in a separate report the projected indicative Union greenhouse gas budget for the 2030-2050 period. In February 2024, the Commission presented its assessment for a 2040 climate target. The Commission recommended reducing the EU's net greenhouse gas emissions by 90 % by 2040 relative to 1990 levels. The recommended target is based on the detailed impact assessment and the advice of the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change. Because of the 2024 European elections, it was up to the new Commission to make the legislative proposal to include the 2040 target in the European Climate Law.
In July 2025, the Commission proposed an amendment to the European Climate Law recommending reducing the EU's net greenhouse gas emissions by 90 % by 2040 relative to 1990, as proposed by the previous Commission.
On 10 February 2026, the European Parliament backed a political agreement with the Council on amendments to the Climate Law to include a new, intermediate and binding target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 90 % compared to 1990 levels. The revised climate law introduces flexibilities in how the 2040-target can be met, including a limited role for high-quality international carbon credits in the second part of 2030-2040, the use of domestic permanent removals in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and enhanced flexibilities across sectors. On 5 March the Council formally adopted the amended European Climate Law, and this marks the final step in the legislative process. The amended text will enter into force 20 days after it has been published in the EU Official Journal.
Who does it impact?
EU Institutions and EU Member State governments.
European citizens, industry and investors.
Status: In force
The European Climate Law was published in the Official Journal on 9 July 2021 and entered into force on 29 July 2021.
Relation to other initiatives and regulations
The European Climate Law writes into law the goals set out in the European Green Deal.
Participants
Member States of the European Union.
Thommessen's comments
The EU climate law is not applicable in Norway, and Norway is not bound by EU's climate targets. With that said, Norway has a close climate cooperation with the EU in the implementation of our climate targets, even though we have independent climate targets under the Paris Agreement. The climate targets that follow from the Norwegian Climate Change Act reflects the climate targets set by the EU.