Enabling a climate neutral EU Commission

Across its Brussels and Strasbourg locations, the European Commission was looking for ways to reach operational climate neutrality with reduced emissions across e.g. buildings and canteens as well as commuting and business travels.

Therefore, the Commission asked Ramboll to undertake a feasibility and scoping study on how a greenhouse-gas neutral Commission could be achieved as early as possible and prior to 2040.

Simply put, Ramboll and its partner was to inform the decision and provide a clear path forward pinpointing what could be done, where emissions could be reduced, how - and at what costs.

Ramboll’s work was very hands-on and explored different routes to climate-neutrality based on workshops, desk research, calculations, thorough analyses and much more. Summarised in a three-step approach, the team of experts provided:

1. Analysis of the Commission’s current GHG emissions and remaining reduction options and how to improve the monitoring system to report on these emissions
2. Analysis of instruments and concepts of climate neutrality targets for organisations and of their applicability to the Commission
3. Developing feasible roadmaps towards achieving the goal of climate neutrality.

The work was carried out by a multidisciplinary team of experts within strategic sustainability, policy advice, environment and health services, paired with external partner, CO2logic, an advisor of the European Parliament and the European Council on GHG monitoring and environmental management.

Ramboll’s liaison officer, Artur Runge-Metzger, Director for Climate Strategy at DG CLIMA, was pleased with the work:

“In its Eco Management and Audit Scheme, the Commission has already done a lot to reduce its environmental and climate footprint. It was exciting and inspiring for us to work on this with the experts of Ramboll and CO2logic and with committed colleagues from many different Commission departments.”

This project concluded in 2020 and Ramboll has since been employed on a variety of projects, for instance on assessing EU policy on UN SDG 14 (Life below water) and on the technical screening criteria for the EU Taxonomy.

Fit for 55 refers to the EU’s target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. The package aims to bring EU legislation in line with the 2030 goal.

The package of proposals aims at providing a coherent and balanced framework for reaching the EU's climate objectives, which:

• ensures a just and socially fair transition
• maintains and strengthens innovation and competitiveness of EU industry while ensuring a level playing field vis-à-vis third country economic operators
• underpins the EU's position as leading the way in the global fight against climate change