EU is ‘well on track’ for 2030 climate targets

LATE SUBMISSIONS: The European Commission said that Belgium, Estonia and Poland have not submitted their climate plans and should do so without delay

The EU is on track to reach its 2030 climate targets, Brussels said yesterday, but uncertainty remains over the bloc’s ambitions to cut greenhouse gas emissions much further by 2040.

The European Commission expects emissions to fall by 54 percent by 2030 compared with 1990, very close to its 55 percent target, it said, after analyzing member states’ energy and climate plans.

“Emissions are down 37 percent since 1990, while the economy has grown nearly 70 percent — proving climate action and growth go hand in hand. Now we must build on this momentum,” EU Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth Wopke Hoekstra said.

Brussels also pointed to disparities between member states, and highlighted the problems of protecting forests and carbon storage.

The commission singled out Belgium, Estonia and Poland, which have not submitted their energy and climate plans, urging them to “do so without delay.”

“We have reasons to be proud, although we cannot be satisfied. We’ve come a long way, but we’re not where we need to be yet,” European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jorgensen said.

The EU has set a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and Brussels wants to agree on an interim target for 2040 — with the commission seeking to cut emissions by 90 percent compared with 1990 levels.

However, negotiations are stalling between EU countries on the 2040 target and the commission has shied away from formally proposing the 90 percent cut to member states.

For some countries, such as the Czech Republic and Italy, the target is unrealistic. The bloc has this year focused on ramping up European businesses’ competitiveness against fierce competition in the US and China.

The commission is considering greater flexibility in its calculations for 2040, including through the purchase of carbon credits on international markets.

The EU’s executive arm insists it would submit a formal proposal before the summer and stresses that the bloc would be ready for the next UN COP30 climate conference, which is to be held in November in Belem, Brazil.

The delays have raised concerns among environmental groups, which have called for Europe to take the lead on tackling climate change after US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement after he returned to the White House in January.

The organizations are also fearful of a wholesale unravelling of the European Green Deal, a landmark package of measures that defined European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s first term in office, but has since come increasingly under fire.