Climate Summit debuts, EU points out that 9 countries including Germany and Italy may have difficulty achieving 2030 emission reduction targets

On the occasion of the United Nations Climate Summit, the European Commission (European Commission) said today that nine EU member states, including Germany and Italy, will not be able to meet their 2030 emission reduction targets based on current progress.

The European Commission said it would require these nine member states to "each submit improvement action plans, accelerate implementation and develop emission reduction measures and investments."

During the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) held in Turkey, the European Commission issued a report to assess the implementation progress of the national emission reduction plans of each EU member state.

The report found that emissions in Italy, Croatia, and Cyprus have exceeded the target ceiling for the period 2021 to 2025; Austria, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, and Sweden are at risk of failing to meet the 2030 target.

The executive committee said that Wopke Hoekstra, the executive committee member responsible for climate policy, will send letters to the nine countries, requiring them to submit plans within three months to get emissions reduction progress back on track.

According to preliminary data released by the European Commission, the EU's net greenhouse gas emissions last year decreased by 1.6% compared with 2024.

The 27-nation EU currently has emissions reduced by 39% compared to 1990.

The EU has set a goal to reduce emissions by 90% by 2040 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

However, environmental groups accuse the EU of going backwards over the past two years and repeatedly relaxing climate regulations for companies.