Europe is moving to a decisive stage in discussions to toughen the bloc’s 2030 climate target and put into law the ambition to become the world’s first climate neutral continent by the middle of the century. European Union governments will discuss Wednesday a plan for the leaders to endorse at their Dec. 10-11 meeting a goal of reducing greenhouse gases by at least 55% by 2030 from 1990 levels.
Draft guidelines for a political statement at the summit include assurances on financing the transition away from fossil fuels and the acknowledgment of differing national conditions in member states, according to an EU document obtained by Bloomberg News. That move is aimed at convincing Poland and some other countries to drop their reservations about the radical environmental clean-up.
At stake is the EU’s global leadership on climate change and investor certainty at a time when the 27-nation bloc is gearing up for a green economic overhaul that will impact every area of life from transport to agriculture.