It\u2019s been six years since the EU first agreed to slash greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030 compared to pre-industrial levels. Now, time is ticking.<\/p>\n
The bloc-wide target, which became legally binding in 2021, is part of the EU\u2019s longer-term plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Back in March, the European Council also adopted an interim target that requires all 27 member states to reduce their net greenhouse gas emissions<\/a> by 90 per cent by 2040, compared to 1990.<\/p>\n However, from 2036 onwards, \u201chigh-quality international credits\u201d may be used up to a limit of five per cent of 1990 EU net emissions to contribute towards the 2040 target. This will allow member states to buy credits generated by emissions-cutting projects in other countries and count those cuts as part of their own targets.<\/p>\n Critics argue the loophole risks delaying \u201creal, ambitious cuts in the EU\u201d. Sarah Heck of Climate Action Tracker<\/a> tells Euronews Earth: \u201cIt\u2019s a risky step backwards that undermines the principle that climate targets should drive real, domestic emission reductions.\u201d<\/p>\n But are the EU\u2019s biggest economies likely to fall at the first hurdle?<\/p>\n Has Germany undermined its emissions?<\/p>\n The EU\u2019s emissions targets are bloc-wide, meaning that not every individual country needs to reduce emissions by exactly 55 per cent in order for it to be achieved. Many countries have set up their own national goal.<\/p>\n Germany \u2013 the EU\u2019s biggest economy \u2013 went one step further, pledging to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65 per cent by 2030.<\/p>\n This is legally mandated by the Federal Climate Change Act, the country\u2019s first major national climate law. In March, Chancellor Friedrich Merz unveiled a 67-point programme to address concerns that the target won\u2019t be met.<\/p>\n This includes bolstering renewable energy by adding 12 gigawatts of onshore wind turbine capacity, implementing schemes to boost electric vehicle (EV) sales, as well as steps to protect forests and soil health.<\/p>\n Despite the country\u2019s efforts, a new report from the Council of Experts on Climate Change<\/a> found that Germany risks overshooting its CO2 emissions projections by up to 100 million metric tonnes. Greenhouse gas emissions remained virtually flat in 2025 as a decline in \u200bindustry and energy sectors was offset by spikes in \u200bconstruction and \u2060transport.<\/p>\n \u201cThe land use, land use change, and forestry (LULUCF) sector is no longer shown as a carbon sink in the projection data,\u201d the Expert Council says. \u201cInstead, it is shown as a source of emissions, a trend that is expected to continue until 2045 and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite only achieving a 48 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases so far, Germany recently watered down a draft law that would require households to replace fossil-fuelled boilers<\/a> with climate-friendly alternatives.<\/p>\n The Greens\u2019 parliamentary leader Katherina Droege, whose party introduced the original law in 2023, called it \u201ca complete abandonment of Germany’s climate targets\u201d.<\/p>\n France needs to move faster to reach emissions reduction goal<\/p>\n France has a slightly less ambitious goal, with a target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.<\/p>\n According to energy think tank Ember<\/a>, France was the biggest supplier of clean power in the EU in 2025 \u2013 with nuclear leading the way. Fossil fuels only generated 5.2 per cent of the country\u2019s electricity last year, while a rise in wind and solar has helped drastically reduce its power sector emissions.<\/p>\n Data from NGO Citepa found that the downward trend in emissions is continuing, although at a \u201cslow pace\u201d. The estimate of the monthly greenhouse gas emissions barometer in April indicated a 1.5 per cent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in 2025, following a 1.8 per cent decrease in 2024, and a 6.8 per cent reduction in 2023.<\/p>\n The reduction in domestic emissions has mainly been spearheaded by a slowdown of industrial activity, with manufacturing and construction sectors down by 3.4 per cent year-on-year.<\/p>\n However, to meet its 2030 emissions target, France must cut its emissions by 4.6 per cent each year, meaning it needs to move more than three times faster than its current speed.<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n It is mainly the transport sector that is holding France back, responsible for nearly one-third of national emissions. Emissions in this sector are only expected to have dropped by 1.4 per cent in 2025, compared to an annual target of five per cent.<\/p>\n To address the small drop in emissions, France<\/a> has become increasingly focused on electrification. At the Santa Marta energy transition conference in April, France boldly unveiled a national roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels.<\/p>\n The plan commits to ending coal use by 2030, oil by 2045 and gas for energy by 2050. It consolidates existing measures \u2013 including a ban on gas boilers in new buildings from 2026 and a target for two-thirds of new cars to be electric by 2030 \u2013 while also reaffirming commitments to support the transition in other countries.<\/p>\n While the move was well received, it\u2019s unclear whether such a late target will help the country achieve its 2030 target.<\/p>\n Italy still clings to polluting coal<\/p>\n Under the EU\u2019s targets, Italy is required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43.7 per cent by 2030.<\/p>\n The country has experienced \u201cnotable growth\u201d in the renewable energy sector, with data from Italy\u2019s national Transmission System Operator Terna reporting that 41 per cent of its electricity consumption came from renewable sources in 2025. This was spearheaded by a huge rise in solar, which provided 14.5 per cent of its electricity mix.<\/p>\n However, the European Environment Agency (EEA) warns that \u201csignificant acceleration\u201d in renewable energy is still needed to reach its emissions target. Despite this, Italy is still clinging to polluting fossil fuels \u2013 even as the war on Iran highlights the dangers of oil and gas dependency.<\/p>\n In April, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced plans to postpone the permanent shutdown of the country\u2019s coal-powered plants<\/a> until 2038, 13 years later than the initial deadline and eight years past its 2030 target.<\/p>\n Environmental groups and the centre-left opposition slammed the move, with Angelo Boneli, the leader of the Europa Verde green party, accusing the government of \u201cclimate neglect\u201d.<\/p>\n A 2026 report by the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA<\/a>) warns that \u201ccritical issues\u201d in Italy\u2019s energy transition, the decarbonisation of transportation and the efficiency of production systems mean it is unlikely that Italy will meet its required 2030 emissions reduction target.<\/p>\n Spain could be the EU winner on emissions cuts<\/p>\n Spain is often viewed as one of the stronger-performing EU economies when it comes to the energy transition, with targets to cut emissions by 32 per cent by 2030.<\/p>\n Its renewable energy mix exceeds the EU average (30 per cent), with clean sources making up 75 per cent of its electricity mix in 2025. Over the last two decades, Spain\u2019s power sector emissions have fallen by more than two-thirds, as solar and wind expansion have started to displace fossil fuels.<\/p>\n The country recently unveiled a \u20ac9 billion energy transition plan<\/a> to make homes more energy efficient and promote communities sharing electricity. The project will also see near-free public transport being provided to low-income earners.<\/p>\n Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez says the green transition will only succeed if it is \u201cfair\u201d, warning that efforts towards climate neutrality risk slowing due to \u201cdenialist rhetoric\u201d.<\/p>\n According to the European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO<\/a>), Spain could exceed its target, reaching a 41.4 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, if it continues to implement policies to absorb carbon from the atmosphere and continues bolstering clean energy.<\/p>\n Why the Netherlands needs \u2018more stringent measures\u2019<\/p>\n While the Netherlands is often seen as a green country, data from the EEA show a \u201cmixed bag of outcomes\u201d.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, Amsterdam became the first capital city in the world to ban climate-damaging advertising<\/a> in public spaces, stripping the streets of billboards promoting polluting fossil fuels and meat. This follows in the footsteps of several other Dutch cities that have enforced similar bans, such as Utrecht, The Hague, Zwolle, Delft and Nijmegen.<\/p>\n