Reuters: EU may weaken climate target of 90% emissions reduction by 2040

The European Union is considering introducing a so-called emergency brake, which would allow it to weaken the 2040 climate target in the future.

This is stated in the draft EU proposal, which was obtained by Reuters journalists.

EU countries will seek to approve a new climate target for 2040 during a meeting of climate ministers on November 4.

But as some countries worry about the costs to their struggling industrial sectors, the EU is considering various options for flexibility and easing the climate target — previously, it was about cutting planet-warming emissions by 90% by 2040.

The latest draft added a new provision: if forests and other natural systems that absorb CO₂ do not provide the expected level of emission reductions, the EU will have the right to adjust the interim target for 2040.

The draft also notes that Brussels will be able to propose additional measures to put the forest sector back on track to achieve the climate goal.

The move mirrors a proposal put forward by France last week, which called for an “emergency brake” that would lower the 90% target by 3% if the forests and land use sector fail to deliver the required level of emissions reductions.

The amount of CO₂ absorbed by Europeʼs forests and land use sector has fallen by almost a third in the last decade due to wildfires and poor forest management.

Previous versions of the negotiating documents already showed that countries were considering allowing the EU to review the 2040 target every two years — another mechanism that could weaken it in the future.

• On July 2, 2025, the European Commission proposed amendments to the EU Climate Law, setting a new target for 2040 — a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels.

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