The Council today approved an updated nationally determined contribution (NDC) of the EU and its member states, which will be submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ahead of COP30 (10-21 November 2025). Following the 2020 NDC and its 2023 update, today’s NDC covers the period up to 2035.
The NDC agreed today reiterates the EU’s goal of achieving a net reduction of 55% in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 and acknowledges the agreement reached within the Council on a net emissions reduction target of 90% by 2040, compared to 1990. Based on this target, the NDC introduces an indicative contribution of 66.25% to 72.5% for 2035 on the path towards carbon neutrality by 2050.
The updated NDC builds on previous commitments, aiming to accelerate the transition to a decarbonised economy and industry, and outlines the EU’s ongoing efforts to achieve climate neutrality in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
With the adoption of EU’s NDC, we are sending a strong signal ahead of COP30 that we remain fully committed to keeping the goals of the Paris Agreement. It enables us to push for more global climate action, when we meet the rest of the world at COP30.
Lars Aagaard, Denmark’s minister for climate, energy and utilities
Main elements of the EU’s 2035 NDC
In the updated NDC, the EU outlines its ambitious climate targets and the policy frameworks that is implementing in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. It recalls the agreement reached within the Council on a 2040 climate target of 90%, including an adequate contribution of high-quality international credits in a manner that is both ambitious and cost-efficient.
The NDC also highlights the EU’s continued progress in its climate action towards decarbonising its economy and its contribution to the global efforts agreed in the outcome of the first global stocktake (GST) at COP28 in Dubai. These include the commitment to tripling renewable energy capacity globally and doubling the rate of global energy efficiency by 2030. The updated NDC underlines the EU’s efforts in this regard, which resulted in renewable energy sources making up 44% of the EU’s electricity production in 2023, with that figure increasing to 47% in the estimates for 2024.
In addition, the new NDC emphasises the EU’s accelerating efforts towards making the energy sector predominantly free of fossil fuels well ahead of 2050, while recognising the importance of phasing out unabated fossil fuels at global level. To that end, the EU acknowledges the need to use all the available technologies to reduce emissions from hard-to-abate sectors.
The updated NDC also includes the information necessary for clarity, transparency and understanding (ICTU), outlining all the elements of the NDC.
Next steps
The updated NDC will be submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat and will feed into an updated NDC synthesis report, building on the first version issued by the Secretariat on 28 October. The report will provide an overview of global emission reduction commitments and gaps in relation to the Paris Agreement goals.
Background
Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are an integral part of the Paris Agreement, which requires all parties to communicate their post-2020 climate actions starting in 2020 and every five years thereafter. NDCs set out each party’s efforts to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impact of climate change. The EU submits a single NDC on behalf of the EU and its member states.
On that basis, the EU and its member states submitted their first NDC in 2015 as an intended NDC, and an updated and enhanced NDC on 17 December 2020. Following the adoption of the Fit for 55 legislative package, in October 2023, the EU submitted a further update reflecting its target of at least 55% of net greenhouse gas emissions reductions by 2030.
On 18 September 2025, EU environment ministers approved a statement of intent confirming the EU’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and indicating that the EU would submit its post-2030 NDC ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil (10–21 November 2025).
O artigo foi publicado originalmente em Conselho Europeu.
