Setting an EU target to cut net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040 is not a must for participating in the UN Cop 30 climate talks in Belem, Brazil, in November, French president Emmanuel Macron said.
Speaking after an EU leaders meeting in Brussels, Macron positioned 2040 targets as conditional on the protection of sensitive EU industrial sectors and greater technological neutrality, notably through the inclusion of nuclear alongside renewables.
Macron noted "so many" countries backtracking on their climate goals. He called for protective EU trade policy, especially for emissions-intensive products such as steel. "Otherwise, we'll face the same debates as today with Mercosur," he said, referring to opposition to the free trade agreement with South American countries, also driven by environmental and climate concerns.
"For Belem, what's expected of us are national trajectories for 2035. That's it. We'll do it," Macron said. "I support having 2040 goals. But if we want 2040 goals, we need the means to achieve them and ensure they align with our competitiveness," he said, also pushing for greater technological neutrality allowing for renewables as well as nuclear.
Macron is also relaxed about the timeline for a 2040 climate goal. "Great if we have it. But that's not what's expected of us for Belem, the upcoming Cop. It's the NDCs [nationally determined contributions] for 2035. It's not about having European goals for 2040," said Macron.
Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever said everyone supports the climate goals. But he pointed to divisions over strategy and the role of new technologies. "As soon as we have competitive models, progress will be very fast, so it could be possible to achieve a hockey stick trajectory toward climate neutrality," De Wever said.
Czech prime minister Petr Fiala said he would not sign up to additional climate targets for 2040 that the European Commission is expected to present on 2 July. "The Czech Republic does not agree with this," Fiala said.
Prague recently joined 17 other countries backing a non-paper on adjustments to the bloc's new emissions trading system for road transport and heating fuels. "I would prefer we postponed these emission allowances or did not adopt them at all, but at the moment there is no majority for that in Europe," said Fiala.
Earlier in June, the commission's climate director-general Kurt Vandenberghe suggested greater flexibility in the 2040 goal. He said the 90pc GHG reduction target will "hopefully" be agreed with the "necessary flexibilities".
