European Climate Law: 8 things you need to know

1 It sets an EU target of reaching climate neutrality – or ‘net-zero’ emissions – by 2050. This means any remaining anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions will be balanced out by a mixture of “natural and technological means”.

2 The headline goal is set at the EU level. The proposal refers to a “collective achievement of the climate-neutrality objective”: as with the current 2030 target for a 40% cut in EU-wide emissions compared to 1990 levels, there are no legally binding national targets.