The European Commission on Wednesday unveiled legislation to reduce the EU’s carbon footprint by up to 90 percent by 2040, a softer target than initially planned.

The EU executive, following the recommendations of its scientific advisors, suggested this figure more than a year ago — envisaging a hard target that, like the bloc’s existing 2030 and 2050 goals, would have to be reached solely through efforts within the EU.

But the 2040 emissions-cutting target has faced significant pushback from governments, prompting the Commission to grant them unprecedented leeway to meet the goal.

That includes allowing a portion of the target to be met through international carbon credits, a controversial mechanism that outsources part of the bloc’s climate efforts to developing countries.

Effectively, EU governments would be able to fund climate projects in other countries and count the resulting emissions reduction toward their own targets. Critics, including the bloc’s scientific advisors, warn that this risks undermining the EU’s domestic decarbonization efforts.

Wopke Hoekstra, the EU’s climate commissioner, defended his decision to disregard the criticism in a press conference on Wednesday. The additional leeway is an “improvement to the system,” he insisted. 

“It all depends on the how … and I’m absolutely convinced we will pull it off,” he said, noting that the Commission’s climate department would now draw up the precise mechanism for how these credits can be used.

“Let’s also take into account the fact that the planet doesn’t discriminate where emissions are being put into the air,” he added. “So we think it is fair game and actually smart to do the vast majority here, but also allow our companies and countries to be flexible with the last couple of percentage points.”

As POLITICO reported earlier this week, the Commission proposes setting strict limits on credits, making their use conditional on a proper impact assessment, requiring funded projects to deliver meaningful emissions reductions and suggesting excluding them from the bloc’s carbon market.

The EU executive also wants a maximum of 3 percentage points of the target to be met through credits, aligning with Germany's position on the issue.

France, however, has pushed for more. With Poland's backing, French President Emmanuel Macron also last week suggested delaying an agreement on the target, setting the scene for difficult negotiations ahead.

“We have had very constructive conversations with all member states and certainly also with France on the various elements of this proposal,” Hoekstra said. “And we’re very much open to continue to have that conversation.”

Wednesday’s proposal also gives countries two more options to make meeting the target easier.

One, integrating CO2 removals into the bloc’s carbon market, which would ease the pressure on energy-intensive industries. And two, greater flexibility between countries’ CO2 absorption targets and emissions-reduction targets.

Teresa Ribera, the Commission’s executive vice president for climate and competition issues, has previously expressed skepticism about carbon credits and excessive leeway for countries. But on Wednesday, she described the proposal as a significant achievement given the backlash against green policies.

“In that given context, what has been asked by some is to give a certain amount of flexibilities to give a safety net. But the commitment remains,” she said. “So for all of those challenging the science, hiding the problems, asking to postpone… the response coming from Europe is very clear.”