Decision after election

EU wants to reduce greenhouse gases by 90% by 2040

Carbon storage should also help to achieve the climate target.(Bild: wasanajai - stock.adobe.com)

The Commission of the European Union has set itself a high target: the EU is to become climate-neutral by 2050. To achieve this, milestones have been set. By 2030, emissions are to be reduced by 55% compared to 1990 levels. A further milestone has now been proposed for 2040. 

This was announced by EU Climate Action Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra in front of the EU Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday.

The move came as no surprise after a draft had already been leaked to the media in advance. However, the actual implementation of the new target will be left to the next Commission after the EU elections.

Climate target to "close the gap"
 The new climate target is intended to close the gap between the existing reduction target for 2030 (minus 55 percent) and the planned climate neutrality by 2050. The EU Parliament and the Council of the EU member states still need to approve the establishment and implementation of the climate target. This should happen after the EU elections in June.

Carbon storage should also help to achieve the climate target.(Bild: wasanajai - stock.adobe.com)

The Commission also wants to focus not only on reducing emissions to achieve the target, but also on capturing greenhouse gases that have already been emitted.