European Parliament backs a 60% EU emissions-cutting target for 2030

 The European Parliament on Tuesday voted in favour of a legally binding target for the European Union to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2030, against 1990 levels, according to vote results released on Wednesday.

The full assembly will rubber-stamp its position on the target with another vote on Wednesday.

The goal approved by the Parliament is more ambitious than the net emissions cut of “at least 55%” by 2030 proposed by the European Commission, which wants to finalise the target by the end of the year.

To do that, Parliament will need to agree the target with EU member countries, who are split over how ambitious it should be.

The EU’s current 2030 goal is a 40% emissions cut.

Experts say a 55% cut by 2030 is the minimum effort needed to get the EU on track for its plan to become climate neutral by 2050, putting EU emissions firmly on a pathway that, if adopted globally, would cap global warming at safe levels.

The legislative assembly approved the 60% emissions-cutting target by a majority of 26 votes.