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EU lays out roadmap to cut 90% of emissions by 2040

Jul 2, 2025, 10:27am EDT
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European Commission Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition Teresa Ribera and European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth Wopke Hoekstra.
Yves Herman/Reuters

The European Commission on Wednesday laid out a roadmap to lower greenhouse gas emissions by 90% in 2040, as compared to 1990.

The plan would allow bloc members to buy carbon credits from developing countries in order to meet the target, with total foreign offsetting capped at 3% of the 2040 goal. Previously, Brussels had pushed for countries to cut their emissions themselves, but the new proposal could be more appealing to more skeptical member nations, the EU’s climate chief said.

The move has come under criticism, however: Many foreign carbon credit programs have been found to be worthless, and more than 130 climate groups signed a petition last month expressing “extreme concern” about the proposal. The plan still needs to be approved by member states in order to pass.

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