The first obstacle toward implementing the Paris Agreement on lowering carbon emissions has been overcome after EU ministers reached a compromise on energy saving targets after 2021. The European Commission agreed to an overall 30 percent energy efficiency target and an annual savings target of 1.5 percent until 2030. The new targets will be reached by improving insulation and the energy consumption of buildings, as well as more efficient consumer goods and introducing advanced electricity meters. The new target also seeks to reduce the continent’s reliance on gas imports by 12 percent by 2030.