Combating climate change
The EU leads the way

2008 edition

European Commission

Manuscript completed in September 2007 and updated in September 2008

Catalogue number: NA-AB-08-128-EN-C

Text only: 222 Kb

Illustrated version:   1352 Kb

The international consensus is growing that the planet is facing irreversible climate change unless action is taken quickly. The EU has already formulated a clear response in the shape of an integrated energy and climate change policy, a commitment to cut emissions of ‘greenhouse’ gases by at least 20 % by 2020, and a promise to take the lead in international negotiations to adopt even more ambitious targets. This will help to prevent the world’s temperatures rising by more than 2 °C, the level which is increasingly thought by scientists to be the point of no return. To achieve this goal, we need to use energy resources more sustainably and take switching to more renewable forms of energy, capturing and storing carbon dioxide and reversing deforestation more seriously. This may involve a change in our lifestyles, but need not jeopardise our standard of living, or those of future generations.