Germany’s 2020 Council Presidency: Together for more environmental protection and climate action
During its Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2020, Germany advanced EU decision-making processes and led negotiations on environmental issues. The aim of the Federal Environment Ministry was to combine recovery from the crisis with climate action and nature conservation.
During Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the aim of the Federal Environment Ministry was to combine recovery from the crisis with climate action and nature conservation. Climate action, biodiversity and sustainable digitalisation were the key priorities. There was also a major focus on implementation of the Green Deal to facilitate the social and environmental recovery of the economy.
Key decisions taken
During Germany’s Presidency of the Council, the EU made good progress on environmental protection and climate action. The German Presidency successfully advocated for an EU climate law, including a legally binding goal of achieving greenhouse gas neutrality in the EU by 2050. In addition, the EU committed to a more ambitious climate target for 2030, as envisaged in the Paris Agreement.
The Council also made key decisions in Council conclusions to stop biodiversity and ecosystem loss and initiate measures to move towards green digitalisation and a resource-efficient and low-emission economy. Beyond this, many other important decisions were taken to support ambitious European policy in environment, nature conservation and climate action.