European Union policies and their role in combating climate change over the years

Abstract

The worrying environmental situation and increased public awareness in recent years have led many countries to take measures to reduce negative impacts on the environment. The European Union (EU) has been one of the most active in environmental protection with the formulation of policies aimed at preserving the health and well-being of citizens and protecting natural resources. One of the objectives of environmental policies is to make the economy of its member states more environmentally friendly, although this requires finding solutions to major challenges such as climate change, the scarcity of natural resources, the emission of polluting gases, and unsustainable consumption and production. This article reviews the main policies that have been implemented in the EU to reduce environmental problems and the scope of climate change conferences. It offers solutions to promote sustainability that could be adopted by companies, individuals, and governmental institutions to jointly contribute to achieving a more sustainable world, where problems such as climate change or the emission of polluting gases are minimized. The aim is to follow the principles of the Circular Economy and the European Green Deal.

Climate change: north and south EU economies—an application of dynamic asymmetric panel data models

“…As a result, environment cleaning is a slow and long-term procedure with dangerous economic impacts if not taken seriously. So, the EU’s persistence in combining both economic prosperity and intense attempts for environmental improvement and cleaning (Cifuentes-Faura 2022 ) is fully justified. Hopefully, the COVID-19 pandemic taught that even a short period of a massive reduction of fossil energy consumption is capable of great environmental benefits, including aerial health, aquatic health, and ecology (Naseer et al 2022 ).…”

“…Nowadays, the reduction of carbon dioxide pollution as a result of climate change is a crucial objective in the European Union, accompanied by a plethora of environmental policies (Cifuentes-Faura 2022 ). For instance, “European Climate Law” (2021/1119) is targeted in limiting levels of net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% in 2030, compared to ones of 1990, and finally achieving net zero levels by 2050, in a cost-effective way (European Climate Law 2021 ).…”

Machine Learning Based Solar Photovoltaic Power Forecasting: A Review and Comparison

“…An increase from 26% in the first quarter of 2019 [2]. The growth is primarily due to the contributions of solar and wind farms, spurred on by the decrease in wind turbines and solar panels cost [3] and also many policies adopted by countries to reduce and regulate CO2 emissions and global warming [4]. Encouraged by low, declining prices and large contributions to carbon emission reduction, the power sector is progressing increasingly into integrating and using renewable energy sources.…”

Reducing Carbon Footprint of Agriculture—Can Organic Farming Help to Mitigate Climate Change?

“…The necessity to implement the provisions of the Paris Agreement was also emphasized at the COP 26 in 2019 in Glasgow, and in the new European Climate Law adopted in July 2021. The new EU law establishes the GHG reduction target of 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, which takes into account carbon removals from forestry activities and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 [18]. On 15 December 2021, the European Commission adopted a Communication on Sustainable Carbon Cycles, which is the first step towards a regenerative agriculture [19].…”