BRUSSELS — The European Commission on Wednesday unveiled legislation to reduce the EU’s carbon footprint by up to 90 percent by 2040, a softer target than initially planned.
The EU executive, following the recommendations of its scientific advisers, suggested this figure more than a year ago — envisaging a hard target that, like the bloc’s existing 2030 and 2050 goals, would have to be reached solely through efforts within the EU.
But the 2040 emissions-cutting target has faced significant pushback from governments, prompting the Commission to grant them unprecedented leeway to meet the goal.
That includes allowing a portion of the target to be met through international carbon credits, a controversial mechanism that outsources part of the bloc’s climate efforts to developing countries.
