EU leaders struggle to break deadlock on climate deal
European Union leaders are still looking for an agreement to cut the bloc’s net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by the end of the decade compared to 1990 levels following a night of intense discussions
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.European Union leaders were still looking Friday for an agreement to cut the bloc’s net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by the end of the decade compared to 1990 levels following a night of intense discussions.
With the fight against climate change a priority of the European Union, a deal is crucial to avoid a hugely embarrassing deadlock ahead of a U.N. climate meeting later this week.
Reunited since Thursday for a two-day summit in Brussels, a majority of the 27 member states want to sign off the EU’s executive commission’s proposal to toughen the bloc’s intermediate target on the way to climate neutrality by mid-century. But financial concerns by coal-reliant eastern nations worried about how to fund and handle the green transition have so far slowed down progress.
Five years after the Paris agreement, the EU wants to be a leader in the fight against global warming. Yet the bloc’s heads of states and governments were unable to agree on the new target the last time they met in October.
Another delay in revising the EU’s current 40% emission cuts objective for 2030 would be particularly embarrassing before the virtual Climate Ambition Summit marking five years since the Paris deal. The event on Saturday will be co-hosted by the U.K. with the United Nations and France. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced last week he wants the U.K. to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% from 1990 levels by 2030 — a more ambitious goal than the EU’s.
___
Follow AP’s climate coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.