The EU plans to be carbon neutral by 2050, but to get there it has to overcome two decade-long milestones – each of which means massive adaptation by industry and consumers. The first of these has already been established: achieving at least a 55 percent reduction greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to the 1990 baseline. Now the 27-member European Union is tackling the next phase of the transition: its ambitions to combat climate change by 2040. The bloc's environment ministers began discussions on the target on Monday before the European Commission presents its impact assessment reports on different climate target scenarios early next month. These developments will inform the positions that crystallize in the next European Commission and European Parliament that will emerge from the EU elections this June, with a formal EU proposal to be formulated in late 2024. (Julien GIRAULT)