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On the eve of COP, the EU secures an agreement on its climate goals

by AI | 05.Nov 2025 | Europe in brief AI

Just before the kickoff of the COP in Brazil, the European Union secured a compromise on its climate goals for 2035 and 2040 on Wednesday, at the cost of a series of concessions to rally reluctant states, notably Italy.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrives in Belém, in the state of Pará, Brazil, on November 4, 2025, for a press conference with foreign media ahead of COP30, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change. (Photo: Pablo Porciuncula / AFP)

Brussels – The Twenty-Seven have avoided a diplomatic disaster: Europe will not arrive empty-handed at COP30 in Belem and will be able to showcase its “leadership”.

On paper, the EU maintains its ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 – it was at minus 37% in 2023.

But the tough negotiations throughout the night in Brussels have undermined this façade goal.

In order to convince Italy, the Twenty-Seven approved a much greater flexibility than what the Commission wanted.

To achieve this 90% reduction, Europeans will be able to acquire 5% of international carbon credits that would finance projects outside of Europe, a mechanism criticized by environmental organizations.

Furthermore, the Twenty-Seven supported a one-year delay, from 2027 to 2028, in the extension of the carbon market to road transport and building heating, a demand from Hungary and Poland, but a heavy blow for the countries most committed to climate action, particularly the Scandinavians. (November 5, 2025)