Concern about the capacity of Europe's forests, degraded by wildfires and droughts, to absorb carbon dioxide emissions was a key reason European Union governments agreed to water down their new 2040 emissions-cutting goal this week. EU countries on Wednesday backed a target to cut their net greenhouse gas emissions 90% by 2040 from 1990 levels — a goal designed to keep them on track for the EU's legally-binding commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050. However, the accord also introduced