WEDNESDAY 2 JULY 2025 – BRUSSELS – Today, the European Commission presented its proposal for Europe’s future: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 in order to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The Commission bases its proposal on recommendations made by the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change.
Luca Bergamaschi, Co-founding Executive Director of ECCO – the Italian Climate Change Think Tank stated:
“The Commission has chosen to follow the scientific advice to set a target of 90% emissions reduction by 2040. This is good policymaking and a good response to European citizens who overwhelmingly want more climate action and protection from increasing climate impacts. It is also good news for market actors who have clarity of destination. The message to the world is: Europe means green business. The stated priority and focus for the next 10 years is domestic emissions reduction. Flexibility options across sectors and through limited international credits to help reach the target do not necessarily weaken the proposal, if kept at the margin and if duly regulated.”
The proposal includes some flexibility options to meet the 2040 target, including flexibility in contributions across different sectors of the economy and limited use of “international carbon credits”, that is, financing emission reduction projects in countries outside Europe.
Francesca Bellisai, Policy Advisor EU Politics and Governance at ECCO – the Italian Climate Change Think Tank, adds:
“The Commission’s stated priority is to reduce domestic emissions over the next 10 years. The flexibility options that can help achieve the 2040 goal do not weaken the proposal if their use remains marginal, not exceeding 3%, and if they are carefully regulated. International carbon credits, governed by Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, could become a potentially useful tool for financing international cooperation and supporting multilateralism.”
Photo by Carl Campbell
