Ahead of the European Council meeting on 23.10.2025,
2,178 scientists urge EU Heads of States & Governments to take ambitious decisions for the 2040 targets.
The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change advised that a 90%–95% net domestic reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) until 2040 (compared to the 1990 baseline) is necessary in order to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The political discussion is moving further away from the scientific evidence, especially in the revision of the EU climate law (2040 climate target). Ahead of the summit of Heads of state and Heads of government on 23/10/2025, we urge policymakers to stick to science and stick to Paris. The EU should have submitted its target to the United Nations already in September – in time for the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference in November. A further delay or softening should not happen.
The benefits of such a target are enormous. If done correctly, it could, among others,
● save over €850 billion in fossil fuel imports between 2025 and 2040,
● increase competitiveness and create more than 2 million new jobs in clean
industries,
● cut household energy bills by up to two-thirds, and
● reduce Europe’s dependency on autocratic countries, strengthening
independence and resilience.