EU Member States Want Emission Reduction Targets for 2040 Discussed at Top Level

Brussels/Bratislava, 4 October (TASR-correspondent) – The upcoming EU summit in October (23–24 October) is set to discuss a proposal to amend the European climate law, which sets a binding target of a 90-percent reduction in emissions by 2040 compared to the 1990 levels and this initiative, pushed by several member states, is supported also by Slovakia — as confirmed recently in Brussels by Slovak Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (SNS nominee) and Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice-SD). TASR learnt the news from its special correspondent in Brussels. The EU’s emission reduction targets for 2030 currently stand at 50 percent, while the European Commission has proposed increasing this target to 90 percent by 2040 to achieve carbon neutrality in the EU by 2050. During a session of the EU Environment Council in September, ministers recommended that discussions on the proposed changes to the EU climate law take place at the highest political level among heads of government and state, rather than at the ministerial level. In line with this, minister Sakova told the Slovak media that the 2040 climate goals appear unrealistic. „We said in the discussion that the climate targets set for 2040, unfortunately, seem unachievable. Europe is already losing competitiveness, and further strict measures could undermine it completely. Therefore, these targets need to be reassessed in every sector of our economy,” she explained. When asked if Slovakia has calculations on how much it could realistically reduce emissions by 2040, Sakova stated that current government estimates are lower than the Commission’s 90 percent proposal. „It is not 90 percent as defined in the 2040 targets; we expect to be somewhere between 60 and 80 percent,” she said. She also stressed that the figures depend on several variables, noting that the Commission set the 90-percent target before the COVID-19 pandemic, the sharp rise in energy prices, and the war in Ukraine. „Thus, these targets need to be reassessed to determine whether the EU can realistically meet such ambitious goals with its economy.” mf