EU Fails to Agree on 2035 Emissions Target Ahead of Global Climate Summit

The European Union will arrive at next week’s global climate summit in New York without a firm 2035 emissions-reduction target, after environment ministers from the bloc’s 27 member states failed to reach consensus in Brussels.

Despite marathon negotiations, several Eastern European nations opposed new commitments, while others wavered. Instead of setting a binding goal, ministers agreed to present only a “statement of intent” to cut emissions by 66.3% to 72.5% from 1990 levels by 2035.

The setback means the EU will miss the UN’s end-September deadline for new targets, which will be factored into the body’s annual synthesis report assessing global progress toward the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C warming limit.

EU officials will now head to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24 with only a promise to finalize their nationally determined contribution (NDC) before COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in November.

Negotiations on the EU’s 2040 climate goal also remain unresolved. While environment ministers can approve it by qualified majority voting, EU leaders must decide on 2035 targets unanimously at their European Council meeting next month, leaving room for climate laggards to stall ambition.

The European Commission and Denmark, which currently leads the talks, nonetheless hailed the joint declaration as a sign of unity and reiterated the bloc’s commitment to deliver its official 2035 NDC ahead of COP30.

The writer of this article is Dr. Seema Javed, an environmentalist & a communications professional in the field of climate and energy