EU countries have significantly weakened a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions after countries including Italy and Romania made a last minute push to delay a landmark carbon pricing system and to allow governments outsource emissions reductions to other countries.

The overarching target, which commits EU countries to reduce emissions by 90 per cent by 2040 compared with 1990 levels, was seen as a symbol of the bloc’s ambitious green agenda ahead of the UN’s COP30 climate conference in Brazil next week.

The goal was formally agreed by EU governments on Wednesday morning after 18 hours of negotiations. Member states also agreed to cut emissions by between 66.3 per cent and 72.5 per cent by 2035 as part of a submission to the UN that has to be made ahead of the COP30 summit.