Overview
- Environment ministers meet on November 4 to try to agree the EU’s 2040 climate goal, with a draft allowing the Commission to propose a downward adjustment if forest and land-based CO2 absorption falls short.
- The Commission’s plan targets a 90% emissions cut from 1990 levels by 2040 and contemplates foreign carbon credits, with ministers debating whether to raise the proposed 3% credit cap.
- Europe’s forests and land sector have lost nearly a third of their CO2 absorption capacity over the past decade, a key reason negotiators are considering added flexibility.
- Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera urged governments not to dilute the target, warning that lower ambition would carry major economic and human costs.
- Denmark’s EU presidency said a deal is within reach, with passage requiring support from at least 15 of 27 states, and ministers are also seeking to set a 2035 NDC for COP30.