BRUSSELS, 11 December, 2020, (TON): EU leaders agreed on Friday to set an ambitious target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.

"Great way to celebrate the first anniversary of our #EUGreenDeal!," tweeted EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "Europe will reduce emmissions by at least 55% by 2030. It puts us on a clear path towards climate neutrality in 2050."

EU Council President Charles Michel also praised the plan. "Europe is the leader in the fight against climate change," Michel tweeted.

The deal comes after more than 10 hours of negotiations late Thursday into Friday morning. The European Parliament, which itself is pushing for a slightly higher target, still has to approve the new emissions goal.

With the 2030 Climate Target Plan, the Commission proposes to raise the EU's ambition on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to at least 55% below 1990 levels by 2030. This is a substantial increase compared to the existing target upwards from the previous target of at least 40%.