A spokesperson for the European Commission declined to comment on Monday 14 April on the potential to include international carbon credits in order to meet the future 2040 climate target.
“We have no comment to make on the type of options being discussed. It will be an ambitious law (...)”, she declared.
The target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 has yet to be the subject of a legislative proposal for inclusion in the European Climate Law (see EUROPE 13609/1).
Initially scheduled for the first quarter of the year, the publication of this target has been delayed but should be presented before the summer, according to the same spokesperson. In particular, the European Commission is said to be exploring ways of introducing flexibilities into the text.
The institution could also envisage that international carbon credits – enabling third countries to be assisted in their decarbonisation projects, as set out in the Paris Agreement – be included in the calculation of the EU’s emissions reductions to meet the 2040 target.
This option has been criticised by environmental NGOs, who believe that the inclusion of international carbon credits would reduce decarbonisation efforts made within the EU.
The European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth, Wopke Hoekstra, is currently continuing discussions with Member States and parliamentary groups in order to finalise the design of the forthcoming legislative proposal, as also indicated by the Commission spokesperson. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)