Communication from the Commission: Securing our future. Europe’s climate target for 2040 and the path to climate neutrality by 2050 by building a sustainable, fair and prosperous society.

Climate change is intensifying and its real-life costs are accelerating. The acceleration of climate disruption in 2023 caused global warming to reach 1.48°C above the pre-industrial level for the first time, and ocean temperatures and Southern Ocean ice loss are breaking records by a wide margin. It is clearer than ever that achieving a stable climate and safeguarding a livable planet for current and future generations means cutting global spending on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions sharply and rapidly and preparing for future climate change impacts. This path can and must go hand in hand with shaping a prosperous country and a fair society and an EU industry and agricultural sector that are agile and strong in a global context of a competitive and increasingly sustainable economy that benefits all people and is in line with the 20 principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights and its Action Plan.