Despite deep divisions among countries over how to produce energy, the leaders of the European Union have agreed on targets for protecting the climate and generating green power. The commitment to reduce emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2030 has been the key element of the debates. According to the German chancellor, the new target guarantees that Europe will play a crucial role also for future binding commitments of an international climate agreement. This accord represents a significant step ahead. This decision makes the European Union the first major global emitter to put its position on the table, before the important United Nations climate meeting in Paris at the end of 2015, experts say. The president of the European Council has welcomed this deal as the most ambitious and cost-effective climate policy that governments had established before. Moreover, experts have hailed this target as an important incentive to reach a global agreement next year in Paris, encouraging also others countries such as China and the United States to cooperate and limiting the warming of the planet. Events show that most European countries agree on reducing their energy dependence on countries outside the bloc, like Russia. However, experts recognize that sharply conflicting energy choices in Europe represent an obstacle to cooperation. In this context, the European Union has established a target of generating at least 27 per cent of its energy from renewable sources. This objective will be binding at the European Union level but not the national level. In relation to that, critics argue that these targets raised questions about their enforceability. The objective to cut the emissions that contribute to climate change has been one of the main issues of the European debates for a long time. Policy makers have frequently stressed how their industries and citizens emit lower levels of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide than those of the United States and other industrialized countries. In addition to that, the situation is even more complex if we take into account other factors. To make an example, the strong downturn in Europe created by the sovereign debt crisis has significantly undermined funding for green projects. Additionally, the rapid growth of technologies to tap cheap shale gas has damaged prospects for renewable alternatives. The gLAWcal Team EPSEI project Saturday, 25 October 2014 (Source: The NY Times)