Meeting of environment ministers from the European Union, in Brussels, November 4, 2025. FRANCOIS LENOIR/EU
The European Union (EU) has long been a leader in the fight against climate change, and it wants to maintain that status. The bloc will not arrive empty-handed at the COP summit in Belem, Brazil, as the environment ministers, who met in Brussels, managed to avert a disaster. It was a close call. Early Wednesday morning, after nearly 20 hours of negotiations, the 27 member states reached an agreement to reduce their CO2 emissions by between 66.25% and 72.5% by 2035, compared to 1990 levels. This is a broad range that lacks ambition. It was, however, the only option likely to win unanimous support.
With less than 48 hours before the start of COP, on November 6, time was running out. This last-chance meeting was always going to be fraught, as the fate of the EU's nationally determined contribution (NDC) to the global effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions became closely tied to the European Green Deal. In this context, debates proved heated.
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