EU Environment Ministers have agreed on climate goals for 2040 and a climate plan for 2035. The aim is to reduce emissions by 90% by 2040, compared to 1990 levels, but with the possibility of flexibilities that could lessen this target.

The Environment Ministers of the European Union have reached a preliminary agreement on climate targets for 2040 and a new climate plan for 2035, after intense negotiations. The agreement, necessary under the Paris Agreement, sets a target for reducing emissions by 66.25% - 72.5% by 2035, without being legally binding, but guiding the EU's climate policy for the next five years. Additionally, the ministers adopted a legally binding target for reducing emissions by 90% by 2040 and allowed the purchase of 'carbon credits' for 5% of the total reduction. The agreement includes a clause for adjusting the 2040 target based on economic impact and postpones the implementation of a new carbon market until 2027. Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Poland did not support the agreement, while Bulgaria and Belgium abstained. The next step is for legislators in the European Parliament to establish their position on the climate target.