Climate: European Parliament approves -90% emissions target by 2040

Green light for a binding intermediate objective on the path to climate neutrality by 2050, with new flexibilities for Member States.

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The European Parliament has approved the political agreement on the revision of the European Climate Law, introducing a binding target to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. The measure represents a key milestone on the EU’s path toward climate neutrality by 2050.

The legislation provides greater flexibility for Member States: from 2036, up to five percentage points of reductions may come from high-quality international carbon credits, accompanied by safeguards to protect the EU’s strategic interests. It will also be possible to use permanent domestic removals to offset the hardest-to-abate emissions.

The launch of ETS2 — the new emissions trading system covering buildings and road transport — has been postponed by one year, from 2027 to 2028.

The European Commission will assess progress every two years, taking into account the latest scientific data, technological developments, energy prices, and industrial competitiveness. Following these reviews, it may propose adjustments to the regulatory framework, including a potential update of the 2040 target.

After formal approval by the Council and publication in the Official Journal of the EU, the law will enter into force within 20 days. The European Climate Law already makes the objective of climate neutrality by 2050 legally binding, along with a reduction of at least 55% in emissions by 2030.