Brussels: European Union leaders have agreed to move ahead with setting a new 2040 emissions target aimed at keeping the bloc on course for net-zero emissions by 2050. The agreement comes as the EU rushes to finalise its position before next month’s UN climate summit.
The proposed target seeks to cut net greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2040, maintaining momentum between the EU’s current legal commitment of a 55 percent cut by 2030 and its ultimate net-zero goal.
At a summit on Thursday, leaders endorsed the 2040 objective in principle but deferred key decisions to ministers, who will meet on November 4 to iron out remaining disagreements. Among the most divisive issues is whether member states will be allowed to use foreign carbon credits to meet part of their national targets.
“None of us is questioning the goal of climate protection. But we must combine this with maintaining the competitiveness of European industry,” said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The summit’s final statement reflected concerns about how to fund the low-carbon transition while addressing other priorities such as defence and economic recovery. Leaders agreed that the 2040 target should include a revision clause, allowing future adjustments if green technologies fail to progress as expected or if economic conditions worsen.
Countries like Poland have called for such flexibility, citing limited resources and slower development of renewable infrastructure. Wealthier nations in Western and Northern Europe, while more confident in their clean energy progress, also expressed caution over the growing strain on forests meant to absorb CO₂ emissions.
To address these concerns, leaders agreed that underperforming forests would not force other sectors to take on additional emission cuts. The EU has faced challenges in balancing climate ambitions with political and economic pressures. Several governments have scaled back environmental measures this year in response to protests from farmers, energy-intensive industries, and voters wary of rising living costs.
The European Commission has already missed a UN deadline to submit its 2040 target but hopes to finalise the plan before COP30, scheduled for November 6–7.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged leaders to view the clean transition as an opportunity rather than a burden. In a letter circulated ahead of the summit, she said the move toward a green economy could revitalise European industries and reduce dependence on Chinese imports.
Von der Leyen also pledged to review certain policies to maintain public support, including adjusting carbon market pricing, strengthening the EU’s carbon border levy, and potentially revisiting the 2035 ban on combustion-engine cars, which Germany and Italy have urged Brussels to soften.
