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Of: TT
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Photo: Virginia Mayo / AP / T
European Commission climate general Frans Timmermans and energy commissioner Kadri Simson present the proposal for stricter climate targets in the EU by 2030.
The European Commission hopes that the green economy and stricter climate policy will pave the way for the next generation.
Plans are welcomed and questioned.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen placed great emphasis on climate as a goal and as a method when she delivered her big speech on the situation in the Union on Wednesday.
It is about creating a better environment, but also about boosting the economy through investments in the “green economy”, new technology that can create new jobs.
Everything is guided by the promise of a climate-neutral EU in 2050, which has now been accompanied by a substantial tightening of climate targets for 2030.
– I understand that it is too much for some and too little for others, but our preliminary examination has shown that the economy and industry can and want to cope with this, said von der Leyen in Brussels.
“One fucking step”
However, the 55% adjustment, from the current 40% target, must also be approved by the Member States, which in several cases are skeptical that it is going too fast. And in the environmental movement there are others who think that it is still too little.
“If the bathroom is flooded, you have to turn off the water, not just dry it up. The only thing that can beat the climate crisis is if governments follow the science, and the Commission doesn’t,” Greenpeace’s Sebastian Mang said in a statement.
Most Swedish members of the European Parliament also want to see an even greater tightening of climate targets, preferably to 65 percent, but they still appreciate action being taken along the way.
– To be the Commission, it must be said that it is a great step forward, said Fredrick Federley (C) at a press conference on Wednesday.
New proposals
European Commission climate general Frans Timmermans, first vice president with special responsibility for climate, will make a series of proposals to meet the targets next summer. The agenda includes everything from promoting renovations for better energy efficiency to stricter emissions targets for cars.
– It’s about creating a future for humanity. The goal is what counts. We will use every method to get there, he promises at a press conference on Thursday.
In the coming months, he expects an assessment of when it’s time to introduce a ban on internal combustion engines in newly produced cars.
“The rich manage”
At the same time, Timmermans takes care that the necessary changes are fair. Take into account the protests, such as when, for example, the Yellow West in France demonstrated against rising gasoline prices.
– But just because there are social risks, we can’t just decide to do nothing at all. In that case, it is the most vulnerable in our society who lose the most. The wealthy always find ways to cope with the consequences, says Timmermans.
At the same time, he’s sending a clear pass to US President Donald Trump’s climate change skeptic – much more.
– This is not something that will ever cool down on its own, says Timmermans in Brussels.
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