BRUSSELS, June 27 — Ministers from European Union countries will meet this week to attempt to agree joint plans to fight climate change, with some diplomats saying countries under economic pressure might water down some of the most ambitious targets proposed by Brussels.
The energy ministers meeting today, and environment ministers meeting the following day, are expected to agree common positions on proposed laws to meet a 2030 target to cut net emissions by 55 per cent per cent from 1990 levels. The laws would expand renewable energy, revamp the EU carbon market and ban sales of new cars running on fossil fuels from 2035.
Energy ministers are expected to back targets proposed by the EU Commission last year to get 40 per cent of energy from renewable sources and cut energy consumption 9 per cent against expected levels by 2030. The draft agreements would make some targets voluntary rather than legally binding, including a target to reduce primary energy consumption and a target for renewables to account for 2.6 per cent of transport fuels by 2030.