Thursday's environmental minister meeting in Brussels was set as an extra meeting so that EU countries could agree on climate goals for both 2035 and 2040. But no agreement exists yet.
Instead, they are trying to agree on a joint declaration of intent, to at least have something to show when other countries present their goals at the UN General Assembly in the coming weeks.
The Council of Ministers' chair country Denmark is trying to keep a good face.
–I think we are sending a strong signal. An agreement on a climate law is within reach, if the member states want it, says climate and energy minister Lars Aagaard on his way into the meeting.
Watering down in progress?
Swedish colleague Pourmokhtari calls the declaration of intent "plan B" and "the next best thing". But she is worried that the delay makes it more difficult for the EU to have something concrete to bring to the next major climate meeting, COP30, in Brazil in November.
–Hesitation is a luxury we cannot afford. We have come a long way and do not think that an extension will lead to greater success, but rather water down both the law (on the 2040 goal) and our NDC (on 2035) in the end, she says in Brussels.
Among the hesitant are primarily countries such as Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, which directly say no to the 90 percent emission reduction target by 2040 proposed by the EU Commission. Poland thinks that the figure can at most be 83 percent. Countries like France and Germany also have objections.
Sprint or marathon?
Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra is still optimistic about eventually getting all the wills together.
–Processes in politics are almost never a straight line from A to B. I am fairly convinced that we will solve this within the next few weeks, says Hoekstra.
The Nordic ministers seem to have been influenced by the athletics World Championship that is currently taking place in Tokyo.
–Some want to make this issue a marathon when it's a matter of a sprint, says Pourmokhtari.
–We are in a 100-meter dash. We have come 80 meters and I can see the finish line. But we are not over it yet, says Danish Aagaard.
Wiktor Nummelin/TT
Facts: EU and climate
TT
The EU Commission has proposed that carbon dioxide emissions in 2040 should be reduced by 90 percent, compared to 1990 levels. So far, however, neither the EU Council nor the EU Parliament has been able to agree on their view on the matter.
An agreement is not expected until after the issue has been discussed by the countries' heads of state and government at a summit in Brussels on 21-22 October.
The EU also needs, like other signatories to the Paris Agreement, to submit its latest national climate plan (NDC) on emission targets for 2035. This should have been done by September 30, but has already been delayed.
The goal is now to have both 2040 and 2035 targets ready in time for the climate meeting COP30 in Brazil, which starts on November 10.
