The European Union's environment ministers have agreed to more ambitious targets to reduce the bloc's greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate ministers met in Luxembourg to set out the EU's joint negotiating position ahead of the COP 27 climate meeting in Egypt in November.

They concluded that the EU would further upgrade its target to reduce carbon emissions in the bloc "as soon as possible" – adding that this could not happen until member states have discussed and agreed on a number of upcoming climate laws.

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This means the EU will go further than the existing commitments to reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030, compared to the 1990 levels, and to achieve climate neutrality at the latest by 2050.

Ministers also agreed they would discuss the controversial suggestion that developed countries and regions should compensate other countries negatively impacted by climate change, at the COP 27 meeting,

The scheme would see big polluters like the U.S., China and the EU compensate small countries that have suffered from adverse weather events, like floods and droughts, linked to climate change.

This marks a policy shift within the European Union, which had previously been opposed to any suggestion of the scheme.

Ambitious climate targets

The energy crisis, caused in part by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, has led to certain EU members increasing coal consumption, a move now strongly discouraged by the bloc's environment ministers. They concluded on Monday that member states should "close the book on unabated coal through a phase down and end inefficient fossil fuel subsidies to accelerate their energy transition."

Despite the temporary and limited increase in coal consumption, environmental experts say the EU has responded to the energy crisis by being even more ambitious with their climate targets.

"Looking to Germany, which has 40 percent of renewables in 2021, will achieve 80 percent in 2030, and a fossil fuel free power mix by 2035 – or near free by 2035. Also looking to the Netherlands, for example, which will double the wind offshore capacity by 2030," says Artur Patuleia, senior associate at E3G, a climate change think tank.

"So, I would say that the underlying trends indicate that there is an increase in ambition in the EU. And that's actually the biggest takeaway of the response to the crisis in the EU." 

With the energy crisis showing signs of easing, environment ministers have sent a clear statement that the EU does not want to compromise on its climate change targets, instead would bolster them and accelerate Europe's energy transition.