The European Union is a central actor in global climate protection. With the agreement on a climate target for 2040, the EU has overcome an important hurdle in further shaping the path to climate neutrality. In the coming years, intense discussions will follow regarding the EU climate protection framework for the implementation of this target. A central prerequisite for achieving the new 2040 climate target is the implementation of the current climate protection framework for 2030 – especially the so-called Fit for 55 package.

The upcoming debates occur during a time of great uncertainties, particularly concerning geopolitics and economic challenges.

The development of the new EU climate protection framework should occur against the backdrop of a profound understanding of European climate policy, its impacts on Germany, and on other member states. The intended limited use of international credits represents a regulatory innovation, where past mistakes must not be repeated. The future role of national targets in the sectors of transport, buildings, and land use is currently open. Technical and natural sinks will play an important role alongside emission reductions.

All these questions will be relevant within the framework of legislative processes, wherein the federal government must position itself as early as possible. The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) is leading the central parts of the EU climate framework in the federal government.

There are extensive and, in part, short-term research needs for the BMUKN both in the development of the 2040 framework and in the ongoing implementation of the 2030 target. The scientific analyses are intended to contribute to the discourse on EU climate policy, strengthen knowledge exchange in the field of climate protection within the EU, and advance the transformation towards a climate-neutral economy in the EU. Current and sometimes complex datasets must be utilized, and legal as well as political and economic relationships and arguments must be considered. This is a prerequisite for better understanding the interplay of climate policy instruments at the EU level and identifying any gaps in European climate protection policy. Specifically, this concerns the following topics:

• Implementation of the provisions for international credits in the EU Climate Act and their integration into the EU climate framework,
• National climate protection targets, especially in the context of a possible further development of the EU Climate Protection Regulation (ESR) and the LULUCF Regulation, as well as in connection with the Governance Regulation,
• Regulation for natural and technical sinks, among others, in the context of a possible further development of the LULUCF Regulation,
• Design and impacts of European energy policy strategies and measures that are central to climate protection,
• Social equity, solidarity, and cohesion in EU climate policy,
• Ad-hoc support for further topics and instruments of EU climate policy as well as EU measures with high climate relevance.

In this context, scientific analyses and evaluations on EU-relevant climate and energy policy topics and proposals, including the consideration of economic or legal references, should be developed. The specific questions arise from (daily) current climate and energy policy developments and debates and will be determined by the AG during the project’s contract duration in consultation with the AN. It is also welcomed if the AN independently makes appropriate topic proposals that could be investigated. Content focuses include the EU climate protection framework after 2030, the implementation of the Fit for 55 package, and the implementation of the Paris Agreement in the EU.