EU faces internal split as Finland supports reducing emissions 90% by 2040

WARSAW: As European countries get ready for difficult negotiations on the EU's next climate goal, Finland's state secretary for climate told Reuters that the country supports a European Union target to lower the bloc's net greenhouse gas emissions 90% by 2040.

A proposal from the European Commission regarding the 27-nation bloc's 2040 climate target is awaited by EU member states.

The Commission had planned to propose a 90% net emissions cut last month, but delayed its proposal amid pushback on the target from some countries and lawmakers, who must approve the goal and are concerned about its impact on struggling European industries.

"We think it's a good target," Mika Nykänen said in an interview of the 90% commitment, which the EU's independent advisers have also previously recommended.

"We need an attractive, solid investment environment in Europe, and if we change the big targets or change the policies, it will create uncertainty among investors and companies."

EU countries' environment ministers meet in Warsaw on Tuesday. While the 2040 target is not on their meeting's official agenda, ministers are expected to discuss it on the sidelines.

Countries are split over the goal, with Denmark, the Netherlands and Slovenia among those backing 90%, while governments including Italy oppose.

In response to the political pushback, the Commission is looking at flexibilities that could soften the 90% goal, Reuters previously reported.

These include counting international carbon credits towards the target, which could weaken the CO2-cutting efforts it demands from domestic industries. Germany's new government this month backed that idea, but said credits should be limited to covering just three percentage points of the 90% goal.

France is also interested in the idea if there are safeguards to ensure any international carbon credits deliver real emissions reductions in other countries, a government source said.

Nykänen said Finland had not proposed such flexibilities, but he understood the concerns of poorer EU nations, or those struggling to switch to cleaner energy, about their national contribution to the EU-level goal.

"There will be difficult negotiations on how to deal out this share, and every country has fears and concerns," he said.

EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra has said he now aims to propose the 2040 climate target before summer.

The EU already has a legally binding commitment to cut its net greenhouse gas emissions 55% by 2030, from 1990 levels, and eliminate them by 2050.