“Ministers agreed to a 90% cut in EU greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
European environment ministers agreed on a landmark plan to cut the bloc’s greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040, after months of division and intense overnight talks. The consensus comes just days before the COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil.
According to DEUTSCHE WELLE reporting, the plan, long proposed by the European Commission, faced contention over how much carbon offsetting should be allowed. While Germany pushed for only about 3% of total reductions to come from global offset projects like reforestation, France and Poland favored higher limits.
The agreement will also guide the EU’s 2035 reduction goal under the Paris Climate Accord — a cut of between 66.25% and 72.5% from 1990 levels. The Paris Agreement aims to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C, though UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that “current commitments still point to climate breakdown.”
China, the world’s largest emitter, has submitted its updated targets, with analysts suggesting it could exceed its pledged reduction. Meanwhile, the UN’s climate chief Simon Stiell said the world is “nearing positive economic tipping points — towards a safer, healthier, wealthier world, powered by clean energy.”