BRUSSELS — European governments will not vote on the bloc’s next climate milestone next Thursday, six diplomats told POLITICO.
The decision on the European Union’s new emissions-cutting target for 2040 will now be delayed for at least several weeks, casting doubt on whether the bloc can present its related climate plan for 2035 to the United Nations by the end of September.
EU environment ministers were scheduled to agree on the 2035 and 2040 targets at a meeting on Sept. 18 in Brussels. But Denmark, the country chairing the talks, has now canceled the vote, according to the diplomats, who were granted anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks.
The decision comes after France and Germany joined Poland and Italy in demanding that the vote be postponed until national leaders can have a say on the target, creating a blocking minority.
A ministerial discussion will still be held on Thursday to prepare for a debate at leaders’ level. A spokesperson for European Council President António Costa said that leaders would hold a “strategic discussion” at their Oct. 23 summit “on what the best economic strategy is to achieve Europe’s climate targets.”
In total, 11 of 27 countries asked for a delay during a preparatory meeting on Friday, three diplomats said, listing the Czech Republic, Malta, Austria, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary and Latvia besides Italy, France, Germany and Poland.
“It has always been our ambition … to get agreement on an EU target for 2040 as quickly as possible. I have never hidden the fact that it is a difficult task that is politically complicated,” Danish Climate Minister Lars Aagaard said after the meeting.
“I can see that among a sufficient number of member states there is a desire for the heads of government to discuss the matter before those member states are ready to conclude negotiations on the 2040 climate target,” he added.
Some countries, such as Germany, clarified that they want only a discussion but no decision at leaders’ level, with a vote among ministers held at a later date. A leaders’ agreement requires unanimity, raising the threat of a single country vetoing the target.
The European Commission has proposed reducing the EU’s emissions by 90 percent below 1990 levels by 2040, but many countries have asked for extra leeway to meet the target. Some governments want to weaken the goal significantly.
The delay also raises questions about the EU’s plan to reduce emissions through 2035, a target required under the Paris Agreement reached a decade ago. Ministers were expected to vote on both goals next week, as the bloc intended to derive the 2035 target from the 2040 legislation.
As of Friday, there was no clarity on whether the bloc would decide on the U.N.-mandated target next week.
The U.N. has set a late September deadline for the 2035 plans, and the Brazilian presidency of this year’s COP30 climate summit has called on all Paris Agreement signatories to present their targets at a Sept. 24 meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
Three diplomats said that Denmark told countries they would call a meeting on Tuesday to determine what to do about the 2035 target, telling governments they had three options.
The first, and most drastic choice mentioned by Denmark is to also cancel the vote on the 2035 target scheduled for Thursday — which would mean the EU showing up to the General Assembly “with nothing,” depriving the bloc of the chance to influence the efforts of other major polluters, one of the diplomats said.
The second is to postpone only the decision on the 2040 target and agree on the 2035 plan next Thursday, though this would likely result in a weaker-than-expected goal under the Paris Agreement — 66 percent instead of 72.5 percent.
Alternatively, the EU could “bring a statement of intent” to New York with a “temporary” 2035 goal “taking into account adopted and proposed targets,” the diplomat said.
This target would “most likely be expressed as range” and “could be updated once there is agreement on the 2040 target,” the diplomat added.
The Danish negotiating team said that the aim of the Sept. 18 meeting is now “to stabilize the text,” adding that Copenhagen wants countries to reach agreement on both targets “before the end of the year.”
This article has been updated.
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