Member States of the European Union may acquire the ability to calculate controversial coal credits from developing countries in achieving their national climate goals, according to the European Commissioner for the climate, the European Commissioner said, Wopke Hoekstra as states meet tomorrow Wednesday to make a critical decision on the issue.

Specifically, according to the Guardian website, the EU will discuss its goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2040 by 90% compared to 1990 levels, according to the general objective of the Union to achieve zero emissions by the middle of the century. If it is agreed by the Member States and approved by the EU Parliament, this objective is supposed to be translated into an international objective – known as a nationally defined contribution (NDC) – with a horizon in 2035, under the Paris Agreement.

However, environmental organizations are outraged by proposals that allow for part of the target through the purchase of carbon credit from abroad. They argue that the EU should achieve its goals inside. More than 130 organizations expressed their “excellent concern” about the possible adoption of the relevant arrangements last month.

Gareth Redmond-Kling, international leader of Think Tank Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said: “There is no reason to use credit units. If such a large pollutant does not proceed as proven by emission reductions, then overall global ambition is lower than it could be. This was the risk of undermining the EU’s reputation for climate leadership at a time when this leadership is more necessary. “

WOPKE Hoekstra, EU Commissioner for the climate, told the Guardian website that developing countries want to receive EU funding through carbon credit for projects such as planting trees or forest restoration, and that it was possible to ensure that such offenses would lead to real reductions. He said that the likelihood of being allowed was “potentially very attractive”.

“The planet is not interested in where we remove the air emissions,” he said. “We have to take action everywhere, but it certainly helps to do so here and elsewhere.”

He also said that developing countries in Africa and Latin America are interested in such projects. “There is a huge appetite for our friends in the world south,” he said.

But such projects should be complementary to the actions already taken by developing countries to achieve their own emissions, instead of replacing them. “If it’s additionally, I think it’s an excellent idea,” he said. “And what we will not miss is the ambition to do things at the same time in Europe. No one doubts the very important level of ambition [για μειώσεις εκπομπών εντός της ΕΕ]”

Wopke Hoekstra, however In the past there have been problems with carbon credits which in some cases proved to be of no practical value. ‘It all depends on the integrity of such a system where certification, verification [των πιστώσεων άνθρακα] It is absolutely essential, “he said. “But humanity has solved more difficult problems.”

Wednesday’s talks on the target of pollutant emissions by 2040 could also to be derailed by a small number of Member States, headed by Francediscussing the “disconnection” of NDC’s domestic target. They argue that the NDC, with its 2035 broadcast target, could be achieved in September without agreeing to 2040, implying that a less ambitious target for 2040 could be agreed on a later date.

All countries are expected to present their National Co -operative Convention (NDC) before the COP30, the critical climate summit in Brazil in November, but few have done so for the time being. China’s contribution is expected to be decisive – especially in the light of the United States withdrawal from the Paris Agreement under the presidency of Trump.

Hoekstra attacked China to design the construction of new carbon burning plants, which, he said, was “against what was agreed on COP28” when countries decided to “move from fossil fuels”. “Construction of young people is a very bad idea,” he said.

However, it is unlikely that the NDCs will be presented at the Cop30 in Belem to be sufficient to prevent the critical threshold of 1.5 ° C above the pre -industrial levels contained in the Paris Agreement.

Brazilian organizers have made it clear that NDCs will not be in the process of negotiating during the meeting, but Hoekstra insisted that COP30 should lead to a specific answer to the question of how the climate gap would be filled between existing commitments and its target 1.5 ° C.

“It is difficult to leave this proverbial elephant in the room and not discuss it,” he said. “We need political space to discuss the impact of national contributions and the path forward.”