EU is ready to update climate pledges - Timmermans

The European Union is ready to update its emissions-cutting target, climate policy chief Frans Timmermans told the COP27 summit in Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday, pointing to recently agreed EU policies to cut emissions faster than planned.

"I'm happy to announce here today that the EU stands ready to update our NDC reflecting this higher ambition," he said referring to the bloc's Nationally Determined Contribution - or plan to cut emissions.

"So don't let anybody tell you, here or outside, that the EU is backtracking," he said.