Brussels seeks to avoid arriving empty-handed
European Union environment and energy ministers met in Brussels on Tuesday with an awkward problem: COP30 opens this week in Brazil, and the bloc still does not have a unified, post-2035 emissions target to show. Officials said several governments backed a draft that would commit the EU to deeper cuts and more climate finance for vulnerable countries, but others balked at the timing, arguing that higher electricity prices and industrial competition from the U.S. and China make new promises risky. Diplomats described the talks as “last-minute but necessary” because Europe has spent years telling developing nations to raise ambition — and now risks being out-flanked by emerging economies that are arriving in Belém with fresh numbers. A failure in Brussels would hand skeptics inside the COP process a ready talking point.

Balancing industry, energy and credibility
What divides EU capitals is not the long-term direction — most accept the bloc will have to move well beyond its 55% cut for 2030 — but how much to promise while factories are absorbing costly green rules and while budgets are tight. Northern states want a clearer signal on phasing down gas in power and buildings, while several eastern members want more time and more EU cash. Negotiators said the compromise on the table would pair a tougher headline emissions number with pledges to expand cross-border grids, boost nuclear-compatible finance tools and mobilize private capital through the European Investment Bank. Even if that package squeaks through, the EU will still land in Belém having to prove that its domestic politics won’t unravel the pledge in 2026 or 2027. Climate campaigners say that after a summer of record heat, arriving without a concrete upgrade would be politically tone-deaf.