EU leaders to push for climate neutrality by 2050

European Union leaders' meeting in Brussels next week will push net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, their draft joint statement showed, heralding a bitter fight looming at their gathering.

The Dec 12-13 summit of the bloc's national leaders will aim to endorse "the objective of achieving a climate-neutral EU by 2050", according to a document seen by Reuters.

To convince the reluctant camp, the draft summit conclusions refer to "just and socially balanced transition", the European Investment Bank's announcement to unlock 1 trillion euros worth of green investment until 2030 and the need to ensure energy security and competitiveness vis-à-vis foreign powers not pursuing climate goals.