Danish climate minister Lars Aagaard sees "general support" from his EU peers for using international carbon credits to reach the bloc's proposed 2040 climate target.
"My feeling is that there is general support for that approach. But there are also, of course, relevant questions on how it should work in [reality]", Aagaard said, following an informal meeting of climate ministers.
Aagaard will chair meetings ministers until the end of December 2025, as Denmark holds the rotating presidency of the EU council.
"Underneath the heading flexibility, and using Article 6, of course, there are a lot of technical questions that need to be clarified," Aagaard said. "There is an understanding that flexibility is needed."
Aargaard said a "number" of countries view Article 6 credits as allowing Europe to better "help" the rest of the world through the energy transition.
The European Commission earlier this month proposed an amendment to the bloc's climate law allowing use of up to a maximum 3pc of the EU's net 1990 emissions towards a bloc-wide GHG emissions cut target, for 2040, of 90pc compared with 1990 levels. The proposed use of Article 6 credits could start from 2036.
EU climate ministers began informal discussions in Aalborg, Denmark, on 10 July, on the EU's 2035 climate trajectory. The bloc plans to submit this as a national climate plan — known as a nationally determined contribution (NDC) — ahead of the UN Cop 30 climate conference in Belem, Brazil, in November.
"Europe is only responsible for 6pc of global emissions. We do need to make sure that the other 94pc [of emissions] are being driven down much more quickly as well," said European climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra. He called for "leadership" from others, even if the EU will continue to do its "fair share" for mitigation.
Hoekstra and energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen will join other commissioners on a visit to China on 13-14 July for the sixth EU-China high-level environment and climate dialogue. A first policy session will focus on the forthcoming Cop 30 and preparations of the EU's and China's NDCs.
