EU Agrees to Outsource Emissions Cuts to Developing Nations, Sparking Criticism

In a move that has drawn criticism from environmentalists, the European Union has agreed to slash its carbon emissions by 90% by 2040, a significant weakening of the bloc's previous climate goals. The agreement, reached after an overnight debate among EU climate ministers, was opposed by Hungary, Slovakia and Poland, who voted against it.

The compromise deal includes several concessions, such as allowing member states to purchase carbon credits internationally to meet their emissions targets and giving the EU the ability to reassess its climate policy based on economic performance. The agreement also postpones the implementation of a new carbon trading plan covering transport and heating, a key demand from Poland.

Environmentalists have lambasted the deal, arguing that the provision allowing the EU to buy carbon credits from less-developed countries effectively outsources the bloc's emissions reduction obligations. "The use of offshore carbon laundering to meet this nominal target means the EU's own commitment is much lower, and that commitment means even less with a baked-in clause to dilute the target every two years," said Greenpeace EU climate campaigner Thomas Gelin.

Despite the criticism, the EU's climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, has defended the agreement, stating that it is strong compared to those of the bloc's allies in the Pacific, Europe and North America. Hoekstra acknowledged that some compromise was necessary amid the current geopolitical and economic tensions.

The agreement will now be voted on by the European Parliament and negotiated with the European Council before becoming a legally-binding document. The EU's executive, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, will travel to Brazil for the upcoming COP30 climate conference with the new emissions agreement in hand.