Regulation 2023/851 - Amendment of Regulation (EU) 2019/631 as regards strengthening the CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles in line with the Union’s increased climate ambition - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 110/5

The Paris Agreement (4), adopted on 12 December 2015 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (the ‘Paris Agreement’), entered into force on 4 November 2016. The Parties to the Paris Agreement have agreed to hold the increase in the global average temperature well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1,5 °C above pre-industrial levels. That commitment has been reinforced with the adoption under the UNFCCC of the Glasgow Climate Pact on 13 November 2021, in which the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement, recognises that the impacts of climate change will be much lower at a temperature increase of 1,5 °C, compared with 2 °C, and resolves to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1,5 °C.

Tackling climate- and environmental-related challenges and reaching the objectives of the Paris Agreement are at the core of the communication of the Commission of 11 December 2019 on ‘The European Green Deal’ (the ‘European Green Deal’). The European Parliament called, in its resolution of 15 January 2020 on the European Green Deal (5), for the necessary transition to a climate-neutral society by 2050 at the latest and, in its resolution of 28 November 2019 on the climate and environment emergency, declared a climate and environment emergency (6). The necessity and the value of the European Green Deal have only grown in light of the very severe effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and economic well-being of the Union’s citizens.

The European Green Deal combines a comprehensive set of mutually reinforcing measures and initiatives aimed at achieving climate neutrality in the Union by 2050, and sets out a new growth strategy focused on transforming the Union into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy, with vibrant industries that remain world-leaders in their respective segments and global innovation drivers, while securing high-paid quality jobs in the Union. It also aims to protect, conserve and enhance the Union's natural capital, and protect the health and well-being of citizens from environment-related risks and impacts. In that context, the 8th Environment Action Programme running until 2030 set out in Decision (EU) 2022/591 of the European Parliament and of the Council (7) reinforces the objective of accelerating the green transition to a climate-neutral, sustainable, non-toxic, resource-efficient, renewable-energy based, resilient and competitive circular economy in a just, equitable and inclusive way and of protecting, restoring and improving the state of the environment, while supporting and building upon the set of measures and initiatives announced under the European Green Deal. At the same time, the transition affects women and men differently and has a particular impact on some...