EU Commission unveils a plan to slash emissions by 90%. Can it deliver?

CNN — The European Commission announced one of the world’s most ambitious goals to slash planet-heating pollution on Tuesday, but protesting farmers and upcoming elections could threaten its success, analysts say. A new-look parliament might choose to keep the 90% goal, said Manon Dufour, executive director of the climate think tank E3G’s Brussels office, but there will likely be sticking points over issues like agriculture and when to ban the sale of combustion engine cars. “Of course, the political makeup of the European Parliament will have an impact on European action across the board, whether it’s on markets, or foreign policy, or climate.” One of the biggest changes that a more conservative EU parliament might see is more resistance to increased regulation, Dufour said, particularly outright bans. “So that could also impact some of the policies going forward, being more skeptical of environmental policies and climate policies.” Already, the EU’s center-right alliance, the European People’s Party, is seeking to roll back key elements of the EU’s broader Green Deal, such as a ban on the sale of combustion engine cars by 2035, aimed at phasing in electric vehicles more widely.