EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said the EU would invest more in clean technologies to ensure industries can prosper from Europe's green transition. The Commission cited strong progress in the energy sector, with renewable sources covering 24% of EU energy consumption in 2023. Farmers staged months of protests across Europe last year, criticising EU green policies. The agriculture sector has largely escaped EU climate measures, and Brussels weakened some environmental rules for farmers in response to the protests. The EU's 2030 climate goal is one of the most ambitious among major economies worldwide.