The EU's environment ministers have taken new steps to keep the bloc on pace to achieve the ambitious goal of zero net emissions by 2050. 

At the Environment Council in Luxembourg on Friday, ministers adopted an official position to help guide climate change policy for the next ten years. 

It's part of the EU's long-term strategy to build a "climate-neutral, green, fair and social Europe." 

EU politicians agreed in June to strive for a climate-neutral bloc - one that minimizes greenhouse gas emissions, and off-sets the remaining emissions with climate protection measures. 

But the strategy can only be carried out if all states get behind it. Until this week, four EU states were still opposed to the mid-century carbon goals. 

Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland have fears about abandoning fossil fuels, and they still need convincing to help meet the emissions goal. 

But on Thursday, Estonia broke from the opposition when Prime Minister Juri Ratas said he would join the 24 other EU leaders in supporting the proposal. 

Estonia relies heavily on fossil fuels, including the high carbon emitting oil-shale industry. More than three quarters of its power comes from oil shale. 

There's hope among those backing the 2050-initiative that European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen can convince the doubters. 

She's expected to deliver a package at the European leaders' summit in December that will help struggling economies and those dependent on coal. 

Opponents, however, question the feasibility of von der Leyen's climate change ambitions. Estimates put the cost of achieving net neutrality in Europe by 2050 at roughly $13 trillion. 

The target would require a drastic shift in agriculture and energy production, as well as massive overhauls to transportation systems. The EU hopes its strategy can create a "climate-neutral, green, fair and social Europe" through its climate policy working as part of its 'circular economy' policy.  

The meeting in Luxembourg was chaired by the EU's Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen, and also set out the EU's position for the upcoming United Nations meeting in Chile.