EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged that the European Union will deepen its climate commitment as COP30 opens next week in Belém, Brazil. She urged the bloc to speed up implementation, close gaps and strengthen partnerships but gave no details on new measures. Her remarks follow a compromise in which member states agreed a 90% emissions cut by 2040 with greater flexibility than the Commission had sought, highlighting tensions over the bloc’s climate ambition.
Von der Leyen Pledges Stronger EU Climate Action Ahead of COP30 — Details Still Unclear
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged that the European Union will deepen its climate commitment as COP30 opens next week in Belém, Brazil. She urged the bloc to speed up implementation, close gaps and strengthen partnerships but gave no details on new measures. Her remarks follow a compromise in which member states agreed a 90% emissions cut by 2040 with greater flexibility than the Commission had sought, highlighting tensions over the bloc’s climate ambition.
11:11, 07.11.2025Environment
Von der Leyen vows stronger EU climate action as COP30 approaches
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union intends to deepen its commitment to climate protection, urging the bloc to step up efforts as the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) prepares to open in Belém, Brazil.
Speaking on Thursday at the opening of a climate conference in Belém, von der Leyen told dozens of heads of state and government that the EU must redouble its climate ambition: accelerate implementation, close remaining policy gaps, intensify international partnerships and ensure tangible progress.
“The EU will do its part,” she said, while stopping short of providing concrete new measures or a timeline for strengthened commitments.
Her comments come after a recent compromise among EU member states: they backed a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040, but the agreement contains significantly more flexibility and fallback options than the European Commission had proposed — a dilution of the Commission’s original approach.
Analysts say the gap between the Commission’s ambitions and the member states’ compromise highlights internal tensions over how rapidly and firmly the bloc should pursue emissions reductions ahead of the global summit. Von der Leyen’s pledge signals political intent, but the lack of specifics leaves questions about how the EU will translate that intent into policy.