EU Nations Secure Climate Deal Ahead of COP29, Targets Fall Short of Ideal
Brussels, Belgium – November 5, 2025 – After nearly twenty hours of intense negotiations, European Union surroundings ministers reached a compromise agreement early Wednesday to reduce the bloc’s CO2 emissions by between 66.25% adn 72.5% by 2035, compared to 1990 levels.The deal, struck just days before the COP29 climate summit in Belem, Brazil, avoids a potential diplomatic setback but is widely considered to lack sufficient ambition.
The agreement comes as a critical juncture, linking the EU’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) to global greenhouse gas reduction efforts with the broader European Green Deal. Discussions where fraught with disagreement,pushing negotiations to the brink of collapse multiple times overnight.
Beyond the 2035 target, the Twenty-Seven also agreed to reduce their net emissions by 90% by 2040 (compared to 1990), aiming for climate neutrality by 2050 – a commitment enshrined in EU law through the Paris Agreement. However, the 2040 target was substantially weakened by concessions made during the bargaining process.
“this agreement was possible thanks to the international context [of the COP],” stated Monique Barbut, the minister of ecological transition. “I’m not sure we could have had it in three months or six months.”
The EU has long positioned itself as a leader in the global fight against climate change, and the agreement ensures it will not arrive at COP29 without a contribution. Though, the broad range and compromised targets underscore the challenges of securing unanimous agreement among member states on ambitious climate action.
