The EU is to move toward setting a target of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels.
The EU already has a target of net zero emissions by 2050; and a 55% emissions reduction target by 2030, both compared to 1990 levels.
The 90% target by 2040, if agreed, will essentially be a target that bridges the gap between 2030 and 2050.
The European Commission has officially recommended today (Tuesday, February 6) that a formal target for 2040 would help the EU reach its target of climate neutrality by 2050.
Today’s recommendation calls for the next commission – which will take office after the European elections in June, and which will likely have many different members than the current commission – to put forward a legislative proposal to set down the target.
Today’s recommendation does not outline reduction targets by sector for 2040, but instead outlines “enabling policy conditions” to achieve an overall, economy-wide, reduction by 2040.
These policies include the full implementation of policies and actions already required by 2030; ensuring the competitiveness of European industry; a greater focus on a “just transition that leaves no one behind”; a level playing field with the EU’s international partners; and a strategic dialogue on post-2030 action for both the agriculture and industry sectors.
On the agriculture sector, the announcement from the commission today says that agriculture can “play a role” in meeting the 2040 target, without specifying precise measures.
However, the commission also said that any future actions to meet the 2040 target will also need to protect food production and farmer incomes.
The commission said: “With the right policies and support, the agriculture sector can play a role in the transition, while ensuring sufficient food production in Europe, and securing and providing other vital services such as enhancing the capacity of soils and forests to store more carbon.”
The commission also said that a “holistic” dialogue with the broader food industry beyond the farmgate is “crucial to success” in this area, and to the development of sustainable practices and business models.
This “holistic” dialogue is likely a reference to the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture, which has already been launched by commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
In another document related to today’s announcement, the commission said that some sectors, such as industry – which will need to undergo a “deep transformation” – and transport will need to decarbonise further between 2030 and 2040 to meet the 90% target.
This document does not seem to explicitly state that the agriculture sector will be required to undergo decarbonisation or emissions reduction, but also does not rule this out.
On agriculture, this document says: “The sector is key to ensure food security in Europe and, with effective policies, that reward good practices and the appropriate support, it can also help to drive down emissions.”