Today we marked the 52nd edition of Earth Day,

which reminds us of the responsibility we all have for our planet.

As a Commission, we will put words into action:

on behalf of the President and the European Commission,

I have the pleasure of officially pledging to the European Climate Pact.

This means the European Commission will become climate neutral within eight years.

20 years earlier than our common European goal.

The European Climate Pact encourages everyone to act.

The Climate Pact is part of the Green Deal and is helping the European Union

to meet its goal to be the first climate-neutral continent

in the world by 2050.

This means our society and also we, as an institution,

must transform the way we work.

By pledging to the Climate Pact,

we become part of this movement of people and organisations

united around a common cause.

Building a more sustainable Europe for us all.

Contributing to a stronger climate-neutral Europe.

The Commission will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions

by 60% compared to 2005,

and we will compensate any remaining emissions in 2030

with high quality carbon removals.

The European Commission is thus the first EU institution

to formally make this pledge.

How will our organisation limit its environmental impact?

Well, we will adapt the way we work

and limit our environmental impact in many ways:

by using 100% green electricity

and adding solar panels on our rooftops or greening them when relevant,

by making sure we don't waste electricity or water

by reducing the temperatures in our offices.

We will also travel more sustainably,

changing the way we commute to the office or travel to meet partners,

and by making our own car fleet fully electric.

We will use energy efficient IT tools

and green our digital behaviours.

We also want to reduce the environmental impact

of our public procurements.

These are just a few examples of the measures we will take.

Of course, we cannot do this alone.

With this pledge we will join a community of over 235 organisations in Europe

which have already made pledges to the Climate Pact.

We want to connect and share experiences

with organisations already in the Climate Pact.

We want to build innovative solutions that could green the way we work.

And we also call on other European institutions

and organisations to join us on this platform.

The fight against the climate and biodiversity crisis is a joint effort.

Every person and every organisation has a role to play.

We are determined to play ours.