The European Commission is set to propose allowing carbon credits from other countries to count towards the EU’s 2040 climate target, according to a leaked internal document.
The European Commission plans to include carbon credits from abroad in the European Union’s 2040 climate target, a move aimed at easing the emissions cuts required from EU industries.
A draft summary of the upcoming proposal, seen by Reuters, shows the Commission intends to allow "high-quality international credits" from a U.N.-backed carbon market to cover up to 3 percent of the EU’s emissions cuts.
The credits would be phased in from 2036, with new EU legislation to later define sourcing rules, quality standards, and purchasing processes.
This adjustment would effectively reduce the domestic emission cuts European industries need to make to reach the EU’s planned 90 percent emissions reduction from 1990 levels by 2040.
Projects eligible for credits could include initiatives like forest restoration in countries such as Brazil. Supporters say this will help fund CO2 reduction efforts in developing nations. But recent controversies over the credibility of some carbon credit projects have raised concerns about their actual climate impact.
The Commission’s document also outlines additional flexibilities, such as integrating CO2 removal projects into the EU carbon market, allowing industries to buy removal credits to offset emissions.
Countries would also gain more flexibility in deciding which sectors shoulder the biggest emission cuts, helping them meet targets more cost-effectively.
The shift follows pushback from governments including Italy, Poland, and the Czech Republic, who fear the costs of a strict 90 percent target could hurt industries and strain national budgets already stretched by defence spending and other priorities.
The European Commission declined to comment on the leaked draft, which is due for official release on July 2 and may still change before publication.
Once unveiled, the proposal will go through negotiations with EU countries and the European Parliament, who could revise the final target.
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HHungary’s foreign minister has been drawn into controversy after an audio recording, released by an investigative outlet, appeared to show him discussing EU sanctions with his Russian counterpart days before an election that could shape Budapest’s relationship with Moscow, Reuters reports.
Europe has entered one of the most complex geopolitical moments since the end of the Cold War. The ongoing war in Ukraine continues to reshape security priorities, while tensions in the Middle East have intensified following U.S. and Israeli-coordinated unilateral military actions against Iran.
The European Union has announced €250,000 in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan to support families displaced by conflict and those recovering from last year’s earthquakes, with around 70,000 people expected to benefit.
An opposition politician in Georgia has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for defacing an election banner, prompting strong reactions at home and abroad.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that the U.S is in talks with the new Iranian regime. He said this in a post on his Truth Social account but warned that the U.S. will "Obliterate" Iran's electric and oil facilities if no deal is reached, especially regarding the Strait of Hormuz closure.
NASA is aiming to launch its Artemis 2 mission on Wednesday (1 April), sending astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, officials confirmed. According to the Space Administration, the launch window is due to open at 23:24 GMT, with additional opportunities to 6 April if delays occur.
The Iran-U.S.-Israel conflict is intensifying, with fresh strikes near Tehran, European calls for restraint, and Iran threatening to target U.S. firms in the region, raising fears of a broader escalation across the Middle East.
The war in Iran has rapidly upended regional security, triggering spillover across the Middle East and raising fears of wider economic disruption that could threaten globalisation.
The Israeli military said on Monday that Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, and an attack had also been launched from Yemen for the second time since the U.S.-Israeli war began on Tehran. It said two drones from Yemen were intercepted early 30 March but gave no further details.
A Russia-flagged tanker carrying about 700,000 barrels of crude has arrived in Cuba’s Matanzas Bay, marking the first major oil delivery to the island since the Trump administration cut off its fuel supplies.
China and Kenya have agreed to revive a long-delayed railway project, signalling renewed momentum in infrastructure cooperation and a shift towards more sustainable financing models across Africa.
HHungary’s foreign minister has been drawn into controversy after an audio recording, released by an investigative outlet, appeared to show him discussing EU sanctions with his Russian counterpart days before an election that could shape Budapest’s relationship with Moscow, Reuters reports.
The European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas and several EU foreign ministers arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday to mark the fourth anniversary of the Bucha massacre and to voice their support for Ukraine, amid tensions within the bloc over blocked EU aid.
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