The European Commission plans to cut emissions by 90% by 2040, with 'flexibilities'

On Wednesday, the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, upheld its proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the bloc by 90% by 2040, while introducing flexibility clauses for the countries most hesitant to meet the target.

The plan proposes that starting in 2036, member nations of the bloc can include carbon credits purchased to finance projects outside Europe in their emissions reductions tally, up to a maximum of 3% of their total cuts.

Amid a scorching heatwave across Europe, the EU reaffirmed its commitment to combating global warming.

However, European Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra acknowledged that “pragmatism” was necessary, given the political sensitivity of the discussion.

Regarding the flexibility clauses, Hoekstra stated, “We honestly believe that they are an improvement in the system.”

On social media platform X, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that the EU remains "steadfast" in its commitment to reducing emissions. "Today, we demonstrated that we stand firm in our pledge to decarbonize the European economy by 2050," she stated.

The Commission reaffirmed its goal of achieving a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 compared to 1990 levels.

To the great disappointment of environmental organizations, however, the Commission introduced a relaxation in the emissions accounting rules to gain the support of the most reluctant countries.

Environmentalists push back

NGOs strongly oppose this flexibility, questioning the actual impact of such credits on reducing CO2 emissions.

"The 3% is not negligible. These are potentially considerable sums that will be spent abroad instead of financing the transition in Europe," said Neil Makaroff, an expert at the Strategic Perspectives group.

The 2040 target represents a crucial milestone for Europe as it strives to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Key to this goal are major transformations in industry and the daily lives of Europeans, including widespread adoption of electric vehicles, the phasing out of fossil fuels, and energy-efficient renovations of buildings.

The Commission also proposes increased compensation for companies that capture and store CO2, and suggests allowing member states to offset emissions in their more polluting sectors while giving greater consideration to sectors where they demonstrate high efficiency.