We are launching a public consultation to gather people's views on the EU's 2040 interim climate target, which sets out a path from our already agreed 2030 targets to net zero emissions by 2050. You can respond to the public consultation here. It will run for twelve weeks, until 24 June 2023. Why are we launching this public consultation? Climate change remains a crucial challenge for the coming decades. Extreme weather events such as floods and droughts have become more intense and frequent in recent years. Our health is at risk, from the spread of zoonotic diseases to heat-related deaths and illnesses. Significant losses in agricultural production are expected across much of Europe. All of these consequences and more have huge economic costs. But through effective climate action, we can make Europe resilient to climate change and help to minimise its impacts. The green transition also presents many opportunities for European citizens and the economy that we must seize. To set Europe firmly on the path to a climate-neutral and sustainable future, the European Commission launched the European Green Deal in 2019. With the adoption of the European Climate Law in 2021, our target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 became legally binding, as did our target of reducing emissions by at least 55% by 2030. The Climate Law also requires the European Commission to propose a climate target for 2040 in 2024.