EU environment ministers have once again postponed a decision on the bloc’s 2035 and 2040 climate targets, just weeks before the UN COP30 climate summits in Belém, Brazil. The delay underscores deep divisions among member states over how fast Europe should decarbonise its economy while maintaining industrial competitiveness.
The 2040 goal, proposed as a 90% emissions reduction by the European Commission, is a key milestone toward achieving climate neutrality by 2050. However, several member states, including France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, and Slovakia, oppose the target’s stringency and call for greater flexibility to protect industries from high transition costs.
EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said leaders at next week’s European Council summit would continue discussions but are not expected to reach a final decision. “Leaders will task us to continue this conversation and seek to close it at the next Environment Council,” he told reporters in Luxembourg.
An extraordinary meeting on November 4 is expected to produce a formal proposal.
The Commission’s 2040 target would amend the European Climate Law, while the 2035 goal—part of the EU’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement—will be presented at COP30.
Denmark and several northern member states are pushing for both targets to be adopted together to signal global climate leadership.
But others argue for more “realistic” timelines, citing concerns over energy security, inflation, and job losses. “Decarbonisation is something we need to do for climate but equally important for competitiveness and independence,” Hoekstra said, adding that the EU must avoid undermining any of these objectives.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated support for the 90% target, proposing “significant flexibilities,” including the use of international carbon credits to offset up to 3% of emissions.
Environmental groups have criticised this approach, warning that reliance on offsets risks undermining the integrity of the bloc’s climate goals.
A report by the Boston Consulting Group and Dansk Industri estimates the EU will need about €12 trillion in infrastructure investments by 2040 to meet its targets, particularly in expanding electricity grids, scaling renewables, and electrifying transport.
Scientists and climate experts have also urged urgent action. In an open letter to EU leaders, they called for a domestic emissions reduction of at least 90–95% by 2040, framing decarbonisation as both a climate necessity and a “strategic economic opportunity.”
Analysts warn that continued indecision could weaken Europe’s credibility ahead of COP30, where the bloc is expected to present its updated climate commitments. “If we want to be a manufacturer of decarbonisation technologies rather than a customer, we must decide now,” said Joseph Dellatte of the Institut Montaigne.
As internal rifts persist, the EU’s credibility as a global climate leader hangs in the balance — and with it, the world’s hopes for keeping global warming within 1.5°C