EU commission accused of 'cheating' on net-zero emissions accounting

Leaked proposal includes carbon sinks provided by trees, soils and oceans in target

The EU executive has been accused of cheating" on its 2030 climate plans by proposing to include carbon sinks provided by trees, soils and oceans in its emissions reduction goal.

The European commission will this week call for an EU emissions reduction target of at least 55%" by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, according to a leaked draft seen by the Guardian. The proposal sets the stage for an intense political battle over the autumn to agree the target, intended to set the EU on track to meet a landmark pledge of net-zero emissions by the middle of the century.