Ministers stated that the European Union is unlikely to increase its commitment to reducing carbon emissions from 20 percent to 30 percent unless other countries demonstrate a greater willingness to do the same. The EU's current target is to cut carbon dioxide levels by 20 percent from 1990 levels in the next decade, with a promise to deepen the cuts to 30 percent if other countries also commit to similar reductions. The EU does not see any indication that major economies will set comparable targets by the United Nations' Jan. 31 deadline for emissions cuts. Spanish Secretary of State for Climate Change Teresa Ribera stated that it is unlikely that the EU will be able to reach the 30 percent target. The decision, which was widely anticipated, was made by the EU. Despite being marginalized at the previous year's climate meeting in Copenhagen, the EU, responsible for 14 percent of global CO2 emissions, is eager to take a leading role in climate talks. Environmentalists had urged the EU to set a more ambitious target to set an example. While the EU has not committed to a 30 percent cut yet, they may consider it in the future if they receive concessions from other countries. Connie Hedegaard, the nominee for European climate commissioner, stated at a European Parliament hearing that she hopes the conditions for the EU to move to a 30 percent cut will be met before the upcoming meeting in Mexico later this year. Before the Copenhagen talks, the United Nations had requested that affluent nations reduce emissions by 25-40 percent by 2020 in order to limit the average increase in worldwide temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels.