European Commission To Propose More Ambitious 2030 Climate Goal: Document

Parliament has already started work on its proposal. Lawmakers in Parliament’s environment committee on Friday rubber-stamped their support for a 60% emissions cutting target for 2030, a position they had agreed in another vote on Thursday. The full parliament will vote on the goal next month.

Member states will kick off talks on the target later this month, and are split over how ambitious it should be.

A “net” emissions target can be achieved both by cutting greenhouse gas output from sectors such as industry and power generation, and using forests or carbon capture technologies to remove emissions from the atmosphere.

The EU’s 2050 ‘net zero’ goal means that, by that date, most sectors would have slashed their greenhouse gas output to near zero, and emissions removals would be used to balance out any remaining emissions production.