French President Emmanuel Macron, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, European Council President Antonio Costa, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz interact as they attend the European Union leaders' summit in Brussels, Belgium, October 23, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman
European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium July 16, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman

By Kate Abnett, Bart H. Meijer and Miranda Murray

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -European Union leaders will seek to unlock a deal on a new 2040 emissions target on Thursday in time for next month's global climate talks despite growing pushback on green measures from some member states.

The EU is trying to pass a new target to cut net greenhouse gas emissions 90% by 2040 to put the bloc on track for net zero emissions by 2050 - seen by scientists as an essential step to avert the worst impacts of global warming.

The 2040 target aims to keep the EU on track between its existing legally-binding commitment to cut emissions 55% by 2030, and the 2050 target. But the new goal has met pushback from some capitals over how to finance the low-carbon transition alongside priorities like defence against Russian aggression and revitalising businesses.

"None of us are questioning the goal of climate protection. All of us are of the opinion that we must combine this with the competitiveness of European industry," said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

TALKS TO FOCUS ON FINANCING AND FLEXIBILITY

Despite worsening extreme weather worldwide, ambitious efforts to fight climate change are flagging - with President Donald Trump dismantling U.S. emissions-cutting measures and promoting fossil fuels.

Leaders will focus their talks on the so-called "enabling conditions" - financing and supportive policies - needed to avoid higher energy bills for citizens and support businesses already grappling with cheap Chinese imports and U.S. tariffs.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said he expected the EU to stick to its climate goals - which, for 2030 at least, official data suggest the bloc is largely on track to meet. "But we will have to take a good look at how we keep them feasible for citizens and corporations," he added.

Draft conclusions for the EU summit, seen by Reuters, said leaders would agree to proceed with the 2040 emissions target, but leave the details for their ministers to approve at a November 4 meeting, just in time for the U.N.'s COP30 climate summit, where world leaders will gather on November 6-7.

The EU summit conclusions would also impose conditions reflecting leaders' concerns - including that the 2040 target includes a "revision clause" to potentially weaken it in future.

Countries including Poland have argued this is needed in case green technologies do not develop as planned, or economic conditions hamper the investments needed to achieve the climate target.

Wealthier western and northern countries - whose uptake of electric vehicles and renewable energy has surpassed that of many poorer EU states - are more confident. But they, too, want more flexible targets, reflecting concerns including that their forests are struggling to absorb CO2 emissions because of problems including wildfires.

"We have to take care of our climate goals, but we need flexibility," Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said.

EU LEADER PROMISES AMENDMENTS

The draft summit conclusions said leaders would demand that if forests underperform on absorbing CO2 emissions, other industries will not be forced to cut emissions faster to deliver the 2040 goal.

Brussels has already scaled back numerous sustainability policies this year, in an attempt to contain political pushback, both from EU governments and trade partners including the U.S. and Qatar.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told leaders the shift to a clean economy was Europe's chance to revitalise industries and cut reliance on imports from China, which is investing heavily in renewable energy.

"This is a major business opportunity for Europe. Seizing it requires steadfastness and an unrelenting drive to face off our competitors, starting with China," von der Leyen said in a letter seen by Reuters and dated October 20.

She also promised some amendments - including controlling prices in an upcoming carbon market for transport fuels, and strengthening the EU's carbon border levy - a key demand of France. Brussels is also considering weakening its 2035 combustion engine ban after pressure from Germany and Italy.

(Reporting by Kate Abnett, Philip Blenkinsop, Andrew Gray, Julia Payne, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Alessandro Parodi, Bart Meijer, Miranda Murray; Editing by Nia Williams and Philippa Fletcher)