EU Agrees 2040 Climate Target Deal to Reduce Carbon Emissions by 90%

07:19 AM EST, 12/10/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The European Council and Parliament agreed to amend the European Union's climate regulations and reduce the net greenhouse gas emissions target by 90% for 2040, compared with 1990 levels. The provisional agreement also includes the possibility of using up to 5% of high-quality international carbon credits from 2036 to contribute toward the 2040 climate target and the delay of the ETS2 emissions trading system implementation by one year to 2028, the European Commission said in a Wednesday release. The changes to the climate law are set to take effect following formal adoption of the deal, which is part of the EU's wider plan to become climate neutral by 2050.