Welcome to the March issue of our newsletter! Here are the latest EU climate news highlights. 

Last month saw the publication of the first-ever European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA), a scientific report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) that raised the alarm about the risks Europe is facing due to climate change. The European Commission responded to the report with a Communication which set out key steps the EU and its Member States should take to manage those risks so that our citizens and prosperity can be protected. 

The mid-term review of the 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP), the EU’s legally agreed common agenda for environment policy until 2030, was also published in March. According to the review, the EU’s climate and environmental targets for 2030 remain within reach. To achieve those goals, the Commission approved multi-billion investments to boost Europe’s transition to a net-zero economy and disbursed €5.9 billion to make sure no European regions are left behind in the process. 

On another positive note, the European Environment Agency reports that CO2 emissions from new cars and vans in 2022 went down over a quarter since 2019, mainly thanks to growing zero-emission vehicle sales.