Editing European Union (section)

===Environment===
{{Main|Climate change in Europe}}

{{See also|European Environment Agency}}

[[File:Increase of average yearly temperature in Europe (1900-2017).png|thumb|upright=1|Increase of average yearly temperature in selected cities in Europe (1900–2017)<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kayser-Bril |first=Nicolas |date=24 September 2018 |title=Europe is getting warmer, and it's not looking like it's going to cool down anytime soon |work=EDJNet |url=https://www.europeandatajournalism.eu/eng/News/Data-news/Europe-is-getting-warmer-and-it-s-not-looking-like-it-s-going-to-cool-down-anytime-soon |access-date=25 September 2018}}</ref>]]

In 1957, when the European Economic Community was founded, it had no environmental policy.{{sfn|Jordan|Adelle|2012}} Over the past 50 years, an increasingly dense network of legislation has been created, extending to all areas of environmental protection, including air pollution, water quality, waste management, nature conservation, and the control of chemicals, industrial hazards, and biotechnology.{{sfn|Jordan|Adelle|2012}} According to the [[Institute for European Environmental Policy]], environmental law comprises over 500 Directives, Regulations and Decisions, making environmental policy a core area of European politics.<ref name="European Environmental Policy 2012">Institute for European Environmental Policy (2012) Manual of European Environmental Policy, Earthscan, London.</ref>

European policy-makers originally increased the EU's capacity to act on environmental issues by defining it as a trade problem.{{sfn|Jordan|Adelle|2012}} [[Trade barrier]]s and competitive distortions in the Common Market could emerge due to the different environmental standards in each member state.<ref>Johnson, S.P. and Corcelle, G. (1989) The Environmental Policy of the European Communities, Graham & Trotman, London</ref> In subsequent years, the environment became a formal policy area, with its own policy actors, principles and procedures. The legal basis for EU environmental policy was established with the introduction of the Single European Act in 1987.<ref name="European Environmental Policy 2012" />

Initially, EU environmental policy focused on Europe. More recently, the EU has demonstrated leadership in global environmental governance, e.g. the role of the EU in securing the ratification and coming into force of the [[Kyoto Protocol]] despite opposition from the United States. This international dimension is reflected in the EU's Sixth Environmental Action Programme,<ref>{{Cite web |title=EUR-Lex – l28027 – EN |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:l28027 |publisher=EUR-Lex}}</ref> which recognises that its objectives can only be achieved if key international agreements are actively supported and properly implemented both at EU level and worldwide. The Lisbon Treaty further strengthened the leadership ambitions.{{sfn|Jordan|Adelle|2012}} EU law has played a significant role in improving habitat and species protection in Europe, as well as contributing to improvements in air and water quality and waste management.<ref name="European Environmental Policy 2012" />

Mitigating [[climate change]] is one of the top priorities of EU environmental policy. In 2007, member states agreed that, in the future, 20 per cent of the energy used across the EU must be [[renewable energy|renewable]], and carbon dioxide emissions have to be lower in 2020 by at least 20 per cent compared to 1990 levels.<ref name="EUO energy">{{Cite news |last=Aldred |first=Jessica |date=23 January 2008 |title=EU sets 20% target for carbon cuts |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/jan/23/climatechange.eu1 |access-date=29 February 2008}}</ref> In 2017, the EU emitted 9.1 per cent of global [[greenhouse-gas emissions]].<ref name="Global Emissions">{{Cite web |title=Global Emissions |url=https://www.c2es.org/content/international-emissions/ |access-date=11 November 2020 |website=Center for Climate and Energy Solutions}}</ref> The European Union claims that already in 2018, its GHG emissions were 23% lower than in 1990.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Progress made in cutting emissions |url=https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/strategies/progress_en |access-date=21 November 2019 |publisher=European Commission}}</ref>

The EU has adopted an [[Emissions trading|emissions trading system]] to incorporate [[carbon emissions]] into the economy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 November 2016 |title=EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) |url=https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets_en |website=Climate Action – European Commission}}</ref> The [[European Green Capital]] is an annual award given to cities that focuses on the environment, energy efficiency, and quality of life in urban areas to create [[smart city]]. In the [[2019 European Parliament election|2019 elections to the European Parliament]], the green parties increased their power, possibly because of the rise of post materialist values.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Berman |first=Sheri |author-link=Sheri Berman |date=3 June 2019 |title=Populists, greens and the new map of European politics |url=https://www.socialeurope.eu/populists-greens-new-political-map |access-date=21 June 2019 |website=Social Europe}}</ref> Proposals to reach a zero carbon economy in the European Union by 2050 were suggested in 2018–2019. Almost all member states supported that goal at an EU summit in June 2019. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, and Poland disagreed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 June 2019 |title=EU summit deadlock over top jobs and climate discord |url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/06/21/eu-summit-deadlock-over-top-jobs-and-climate-discord}}</ref> In June 2021, the European Union passed a [[European Climate Law]] with targets of 55% GHG emissions reduction by 2030 and [[carbon neutrality]] by 2050.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Van Hoof |first=Sam |date=30 July 2021 |title=European Commission launches proposals to reach 55% emissions reduction by 2030 |url=https://www.unsdsn.org/european-commission-launches-proposals-to-reach-55-emissions-reduction-by-2030 |access-date=8 October 2021 |website=Sustainable Development Solution Network}}</ref> Also in the same year, the European Union and the United States pledged to cut [[methane emissions]] by 30% by 2030. The pledge is considered as a big achievement for climate change mitigation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harvey |first=Fiona |author-link=Fiona Harvey |date=17 September 2021 |title=US and EU pledge 30% cut in methane emissions to limit global heating |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/17/us-and-eu-pledge-30-cut-in-methane-emissions-to-limit-global-heating |access-date=8 October 2021 |agency=The Guardian}}</ref> A research report from November 2024 declared that the [[Czech Republic]] is the EU's most toxic country in Europe for care emissions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 November 2024 |title=New study says Czechia is EU's 'most toxic' country by car emissions |url=https://www.expats.cz/czech-news/article/new-study-says-czechia-is-eu-s-most-toxic-country-by-emissions |access-date=10 November 2024 |website=expats.cz |language=en}}</ref>
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