Part of the compromise includes the possibility of covering five percent of the target through foreign carbon credits, paving the way for the plan to be adopted into European legislation.

Although the EU's scientific advisers had recommended a 90 per cent reduction as the minimum to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the agreed plan is already more ambitious than the pledges made by most of the world's economies, including China.

Climate ministers from member states endorsed the plan last week - in time for the EU to arrive at the UN's COP30 climate summit without a clear target. In Parliament, 379 MPs voted in favour, 248 against and 10 abstained. At the same time, lawmakers rejected a proposal by the group Patriots for Europe, which wanted to scrap the target altogether.

Negotiations on how to meet the target will follow. The use of carbon credits will make it possible to adjust the EU's compulsory reductions directly to 85 percent, which critics see as undermining domestic efforts.

The EU has said it will develop strict quality criteria for the carbon credits it plans to use.

(reuters, lud)