EU: The Politics of Climate Change

The 2024 European Parliament elections fundamentally altered the political arithmetic for climate policy.

The European Union stands at a critical juncture in its climate ambitions, where political forces across multiple dimensions—leadership, institutional capacity, media influence, and public opinion—are collectively shaping the trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions-reduction efforts. As the bloc aims to achieve a 55% reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, the interplay of these political dynamics reveals both opportunities and challenges in meeting this ambitious target.

Political Leadership: Navigating Climate Ambitions in Changing Times

Executive Leadership and the Green Deal Continuity

At the helm of EU climate policy, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has maintained her commitment to the European Green Deal despite significant political headwinds. Her re-election in 2024 signaled continuity, with her political guidelines emphasizing that “we must and will stay the course on the goals set out in the European Green Deal”. However, this commitment now comes framed primarily through the lens of competitiveness rather than environmental urgency alone, reflecting the changing political landscape.

The current climate leadership team represents a careful political balance across the EU’s major party families. Teresa Ribera, the Spanish social democrat serving as Executive Vice-President for Climate and Competition, leads the portfolio that explicitly links environmental action with economic competitiveness. This positioning reflects the Commission’s recognition that climate policies must be embedded within broader economic strategies to maintain political support.

Parliamentary Dynamics and the 2024 Electoral Shift

The 2024 European Parliament elections fundamentally altered the political arithmetic for climate policy. Green parties experienced significant losses, falling from 71 to 52 seats, while far-right and conservative parties made substantial gains. This shift has created new challenges for advancing ambitious climate legislation, even as pro-European centrist parties maintain an overall majority.

The European People’s Party (EPP), now the largest group with 186 seats, has become increasingly ambivalent about certain aspects of the Green Deal. Members within the EPP have demanded concessions on climate policies as a condition for supporting von der Leyen’s leadership, reflecting broader concerns about the economic impact of environmental regulations on European businesses and farmers.

The political leadership landscape is further complicated by varying national positions. Countries like Germany have seen internal tensions within coalitions over climate policy funding contribute to government instability. Meanwhile, Eastern European nations, particularly those still heavily dependent on fossil fuels, continue to express reservations about the pace and scope of the green transition.

Institutional Framework for Emissions Assessment

The EU has developed sophisticated technical capacity for monitoring and assessing greenhouse gas emissions through a well-established institutional framework. The European Environment Agency (EEA) coordinates the annual EU greenhouse gas inventory, working closely with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA) and the European Topic Centre on Climate Change Mitigation (ETC/CM).

This system requires Member States to submit their national inventories by January 15 each year, followed by rigorous quality assurance checks and review processes. The EU’s inventory represents the direct sum of national inventories and follows IPCC guidelines, ensuring methodological consistency and international comparability.

Current Performance Against Targets

The technical assessment reveals both progress and challenges in meeting climate objectives. EU emissions fell by 31% between 1990 and 2022, representing significant progress toward the 2030 target. However, current projections suggest the EU will achieve approximately a 49% reduction by 2030 with existing measures, falling short of the required 55% target.

The Emissions Trading System (ETS) has shown strong performance, with stationary installation emissions decreasing by 48% between 2005 and 2023. Projections indicate a potential 60% reduction by 2030, though this still falls short of the 62% target. In contrast, the Effort Sharing legislation covering transport, buildings, and agriculture shows more limited progress, with only an 18% decrease between 2005 and 2022.

Renewable Energy Expansion Capacity

The EU’s technical capacity for renewable energy deployment has grown remarkably. In 2024, renewable sources accounted for 46.9% of EU electricity generation, with wind and hydro accounting for over two-thirds of that production. Denmark leads with 88.4% renewable electricity, followed by Portugal at 87.5%.

The bloc installed 16.4 GW of new wind capacity in 2024, with projections suggesting a record 89 GW of renewable capacity additions in 2025. However, challenges remain in permitting processes, grid infrastructure development, and maintaining political support for continued expansion.

The technical capacity extends beyond monitoring to policy coordination across multiple directorates. The new Commission structure deliberately integrates climate action with competition policy, industrial strategy, and energy security. This institutional design reflects recognition that effective climate action requires coordination across traditional policy silos.

Media Coverage: Information Gaps Amid Growing Climate Visibility

Public Perception of Media Coverage Quality

A significant challenge in EU climate policy lies in the quality and clarity of media coverage. According to recent Eurobarometer surveys, 52% of EU citizens believe traditional media fail to provide clear information on climate change, with this figure rising to 61% in Italy. Additionally, 49% of Europeans report difficulties distinguishing reliable climate information from disinformation on social media platforms. This media challenge is not uniform across the continent. Countries like Denmark and the Netherlands show relatively better performance in media clarity, while Southern European nations express greater dissatisfaction with climate communication. The variation reflects differences across media ecosystems, journalistic traditions, and public expectations for environmental reporting.

European media outlets have adopted diverse approaches to climate coverage, revealing institutional and cultural differences in journalism. Public service broadcasters, traditionally committed to impartiality, have been reluctant to adopt explicit campaigning stances on climate issues, instead maintaining that climate change receives the same editorial treatment as other topics. However, this landscape has been evolving since 2019, when extreme weather events across Europe brought climate issues higher up news agendas. Several European media organizations have joined initiatives such as the Covering Climate Now project, though participation varies significantly across Western and Eastern European outlets.

East-West Divide in Climate Coverage

A notable pattern is emerging in European climate journalism reflecting broader political and economic divisions. Media in Central and Eastern European countries, particularly the Czech Republic and Poland, show greater reluctance to frame climate change as an emergency. This reflects these countries’ continued dependence on fossil fuels and concerns about the economic impact of green transitions on their populations.

Conservative and mainstream media outlets in these regions often provide brief and evasive responses to questions about editorial climate policy, suggesting discomfort with taking strong positions on environmental issues. This contrasts with Western European media, which have increasingly adopted more assertive approaches to climate reporting.

Impact on Public Discourse and Policy

Media coverage patterns directly influence public understanding and political discourse around climate issues. Research indicates that media exposure to climate content produces different effects across audience segments, with those having medium levels of engagement being most susceptible to confirmation bias. The effectiveness of media in supporting climate action depends significantly on the credibility and consistency of messaging. When media coverage reinforces scientific consensus while providing practical information about solutions, it can enhance public support for climate policies. However, when coverage emphasizes controversy or uncertainty, it can undermine public confidence in climate science and policy responses.

Overall Public Support for Climate Action

European public opinion demonstrates robust support for climate action despite competing priorities. According to the latest Eurobarometer surveys, 85% of EU citizens consider climate change a serious problem, while 81% support the EU’s goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. This support extends to specific policy measures, with 88% backing greater EU investment in renewables and energy efficiency. However, the salience of climate issues has evolved in recent years. While climate change remains among the top three concerns for Europeans, it now ranks behind armed conflicts and poverty/hunger as immediate priorities. This shift reflects the impact of geopolitical tensions, economic pressures, and the cost-of-living crisis on public consciousness.

Nonetheless, analysis of public opinion reveals distinct demographic patterns in climate attitudes. Young Europeans aged 20-29 show the highest levels of climate concern, with 91% expressing concern about climate change, compared to 85% in the overall population. This age group also demonstrates a greater willingness to take personal action and support government intervention. Educational attainment emerges as another significant factor, with highly educated Europeans showing 89% concern levels compared to lower rates among those with a basic education. Urban residents consistently express higher climate concern (87%) than rural populations, reflecting different experiences of environmental issues and exposure to climate information.

Regional Variations Across Europe

Geographic patterns reveal Southern European countries showing the highest levels of climate concern, likely reflecting their direct experience with extreme weather events. Countries like Spain and Italy report above-average worry about climate impacts, with citizens increasingly recognizing connections between extreme weather and climate change.

Eastern European countries generally show lower but still substantial support for climate action. Poland, for example, records 29% of citizens viewing climate change as a top-three EU priority, compared with higher percentages in Western European nations. This variation reflects different economic priorities and historical experiences with environmental policies.

Personal Responsibility and Behavioral Change

European citizens increasingly acknowledge personal responsibility for climate action, with 38% feeling personally exposed to climate risks. This sense of personal stake translates into behavioral changes: 59% of Europeans report taking climate-conscious actions in the past six months.

The most common actions include reducing waste and recycling (64%) and cutting consumption of disposable items (49%). However, more challenging behavioral changes, such as switching to renewable energy providers or improving home insulation, remain less common, suggesting the importance of policy frameworks and financial incentives in enabling individual action.

Trust in Institutions and Policy Effectiveness

A critical finding from recent surveys indicates declining trust in government capacity to deliver effective climate policies. While Europeans continue to support climate action, many express skepticism about their governments’ ability to implement fair and effective transitions. This trust deficit represents a significant challenge for maintaining public support for ambitious climate policies.

Citizens across socioeconomic groups express concerns about the fairness of climate policies, with many worried about bearing disproportionate costs of the green transition. This concern spans political affiliations, suggesting that successful climate policy requires careful attention to social justice and distributional impacts.

Recommended Actions for Enhanced Climate Action

Based on this analysis of political forces affecting EU greenhouse gas emissions, two specific actions emerge as particularly promising for accelerating emission reductions:

Action 1: Media-Led Climate Communication Initiative

Media organizations should establish a pan-European climate journalism network to address the information gap identified in the analysis. This network should focus on developing standardized fact-checking protocols for climate information, creating shared resources for local media outlets, and implementing training programs for journalists covering climate issues. Given that 52% of EU citizens report unclear climate information from traditional media, this initiative could significantly enhance public understanding and support for climate policies. The network should prioritize reporting on nature-based solutions, highlighting local restoration projects and their climate benefits to make global challenges tangible for local audiences.

Action 2: Youth-Targeted Policy Engagement Program

Political leaders should establish formal youth climate advisory councils at both the EU and national levels, recognizing that young Europeans show the highest levels of climate concern (91%) and the strongest support for government action. These councils should have direct input into climate policy development and monitoring of its implementation. The program should include funding for youth-led nature-based solutions projects, such as urban reforestation and wetland restoration initiatives, that combine climate action with practical engagement. This approach addresses the trust deficit in government climate action while harnessing the demographic group most committed to ambitious climate policies.

These actions leverage the strong foundation of public support for climate action while addressing specific weaknesses in information quality and institutional engagement. By improving climate communication and enhancing youth participation in policy processes, the EU can strengthen the political sustainability of its climate ambitions while accelerating progress toward the 2030 emissions reduction targets. The integration of nature-based solutions into both initiatives ensures that climate policy development considers the full range of ecosystem-based mitigation and adaptation options available to European policymakers.

The success of EU climate policy ultimately depends on the alignment of political leadership, institutional capacity, media coverage, and public opinion. While challenges exist across all these dimensions, the analysis reveals significant opportunities for enhancing climate action through targeted interventions that address information gaps and democratic participation deficits in current policy processes.

This post was submitted by Climate Scorecard EU Manager, Syaliza Musapha.

Edited by Diana Gastelum.

Learning More Resources:

Political Leadership: Navigating Climate Ambitions in Changing Times

Media Coverage: Information Gaps Amid Growing Climate Visibility

Action 1: Media-Led Climate Communication Initiative

Action 2: Youth-Targeted Policy Engagement Program

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