Consider the following statements:
- Statement-I: The European Parliament approved The Net-Zero Industry Act recently.
- Statement-II: The European Union intends to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 and therefore aims to develop all of its own clean technology by that time.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
Statement-I is correct: the European Parliament approved the Net-Zero Industry Act on 25 April 2024. Statement-II is wrong on two counts. The EU's goal is net-zero emissions by 2050, not 2040, and the Act aims for the EU to produce about 40% of its own annual needs for net-zero technologies by 2030, not all of them.
- ✓ Statement-I The European Parliament adopted the Act on 25 April 2024 by 361 votes to 121, with 45 abstentions. At that stage the Council still had to adopt it formally for it to become law.
- ✗ Statement-II The EU's climate target is a 55% cut in net emissions by 2030 and net-zero by 2050. The Act sets a target of 40% of annual deployment needs for net-zero technologies to be produced in Europe by 2030. It does not aim at making all clean technology in the EU.
Remember · EU Net-Zero Industry Act (Parliament vote 25 April 2024): target 40% of annual deployment needs of net-zero technologies made in the EU by 2030; EU climate neutrality target is 2050.
Sources
- MEPs adopt plans to boost Europe's Net-Zero technology production (European Parliament press release, 25 April 2024) ↗ “On Thursday, Parliament approved the Net-Zero industry Act to bolster EU production in technologies needed for decarbonisation. … sets a target for Europe to produce 40% of its annual deployment needs in net-zero technologies by 2030”
- Net Zero Industry Act: boosting clean technologies in Europe (European Parliament) ↗ “In 2030 net greenhouse gas emissions must be down by 55 percent as compared to 1990 levels, while by 2050, net emissions must come down to zero.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·