EU Climate Policy to 2040: Initial Steps towards More Flexibility and Effort Sharing

Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik · Oct 16, 2026

By setting a 90 per cent emissions reduction target for 2040, the European Union (EU) has taken a key step forward. This decision marks the start of a substantial realignment of its core climate policy instruments. The Commission’s implementation package is expected to comprise more than a dozen legislative proposals, the final form of which is to be negotiated by the Council and the European Parliament. The proposals include, among other items, the crediting of emission reductions from international mitigation projects within the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), the further development of…