EU Unveils 2040 Climate Targets In Political Tightrope Act

The EU on Tuesday unveils its climate targets for 2040 and a roadmap for the next stage of its energy transition, four months before European elections and with the bloc reeling from a farmer revolt against green reforms.

The 27-nation European Union has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050, and set a first interim target for 2030: to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent compared with 1990 levels.

For the next milestone, 2040, working documents suggest the European Commission will aim for a net drop of 90 percent -- which would mean roughly the same pace of cuts as it has pledged for 2020-2030.

But this time around, Brussels has to factor in growing discontent -- illustrated by the farmer protests of recent weeks -- over the social and economic impact of its much-vaunted Green Deal.

After successfully tackling the green transition in transport, energy and industry, the Green Deal has found itself on a collision course with the farming world -- and its champions in the European Parliament.

Across Europe, on the right of the political spectrum, there is an increasingly vocal backlash to the sweeping set of policies aimed at meeting the bloc's climate targets, and several leaders in the bloc are now calling for a "pause" in new environmental rules.

The EU's climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, last month warned the bloc needed to keep standing "on two legs" -- with its climate ambition on one side, and on the other "making sure our businesses stay competitive, there is a just transition."

- 'Leave no one behind'-

Striking that balance is at the heart of a joint letter to Brussels, sent by 11 states including France, Germany and Spain, and seen by AFP.

Together they urge the commission to set an "ambitious EU climate target" for 2040.

But the states also call for a "fair and just transition," that should "leave no one behind, especially the most vulnerable citizens".

With far-right and nationalist parties predicted to make significant gains in June's European elections, the climate debate has turned politically explosive.

The EU's executive arm was obligated to submit new post-2030 climate projections within six months of December's COP28 climate conference.

The targets laid out on Tuesday will be a simple recommendation.

But the next European Commission, to be appointed after the elections, will be tasked with turning it into legislation for member states and EU lawmakers to consider ahead of next year's COP30 climate conference._AFP