Lead Member of European Parliament says EU should skip 2040 emissions targets

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🗞️ Driving the news: Czech MEP Ondrej Knotek has declared that the EU’s proposed 2040 emissions reduction target is “simply not necessary” and should be scrapped, setting the stage for a major climate policy clash in the European Parliament
• As rapporteur for the Climate Law revision, Knotek—part of the far-right Patriots for Europe group — will push to reject the Commission’s proposed 90% emissions cut by 2040 without suggesting any alternative target

🔭 The context: The European Commission’s proposal, tabled in July, aims to bridge the gap between the EU’s 2030 target of reducing emissions by 55% and its 2050 goal of climate neutrality
• The 2040 milestone is seen as essential for maintaining ambition and credibility ahead of COP30 in Brazil this November
• Knotek’s opposition reflects growing resistance from right-wing parties in the new Parliament, and his leadership on the file has triggered criticism from centrist and leftist MEPs

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Scrapping the 2040 target would weaken the EU’s long-term climate trajectory and undermine its leadership role in global negotiations
• Experts warn that without a clear mid-century emissions pathway, climate neutrality goals risk becoming politically symbolic rather than operationally binding
• The shift in tone also signals increasing political volatility around the European Green Deal amid economic concerns and rising populism

⏭️ What's next: Knotek’s draft report will be voted on by the ENVI Committee on September 23, with amendments due by September 8
• A plenary vote is scheduled for October. The final shape of the EU Parliament’s position will likely hinge on the stance of the European People’s Party (EPP), which remains divided
• If the 2040 target is weakened or removed, negotiations with EU member states in the Council—some already sceptical—will become significantly more contentious ahead of COP30

💬 One quote: “Let’s wait for the others to have this third target... No one says that Europe needs to be the flagship,” said MEP Ondrej Knotek, dismissing the EU’s leadership role in global climate action.

📈 One stat: 90% — the European Commission’s proposed greenhouse gas emissions reduction target by 2040, designed as a midpoint towards full climate neutrality by 2050

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