Poland Blocks German Push to End EU Carbon Emissions by 2050

Poland blocked a push endorsed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel for the European Union to end greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, setting a sour tone for a summit to decide who’s going to lead the bloc’s key institutions.

Mateusz Morawiecki in Brussels on June 20.

Photographer: Aris Oikonomou/AFP via Getty Images

Before the gathering, Merkel allied with the heads of several mostly western EU states to support advancing a plan to reach zero net emissions by the middle of the century. Poland, endorsed by Hungary and the Czech Republic, derailed that plan in a heated discussion at the start of the summit in Brussels on Thursday. The 2050 deadline was dropped from ...