Hoekstra avverte che la politica di Trump è un “duro colpo” per gli sforzi sul clima

euronews (in Italiano)

10/07/2025

Hoekstra avverte che la politica di Trump è un “duro colpo” per gli sforzi sul clima

Il ritiro degli Stati Uniti dagli impegni sul clima, deciso dall’amministrazione Trump, avrà “conseguenze significative” per il pianeta, ha dichiarato il Commissario europeo per il Clima, Wopke Hoekstra, ai microfoni di Euronews durante l’intervista a The Europe Conversation.

ALTRE INFORMAZIONI : http://it.euronews.com/2025/07/10/hoekstra-avverte-che-la-politica-di-trump-e-un-duro-colpo-per-gli-sforzi-sul-clima

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00:00Welcome to the Europe Conversation.

00:09My guest this week is the EU Commissioner for Climate, Clean Growth and Net Zero, Wupke Hustra.

00:15He says that while global warming is a man-made problem,

00:19the response has to be balanced with the interests of industry.

00:24Well, Wupke Hustra, EU Commissioner for Climate and Clean Growth.

00:28Thank you very much for joining us on the Europe Conversation.

00:31Thank you for having me.

00:32We're here because a few days ago the EU announced its targets for 2040

00:36by cutting greenhouse emissions by 90%.

00:40Can you tell us, do you think that the EU can actually do that,

00:43given that so many member states, in particular France, are looking for flexibilities?

00:47I think we can, and I think we should, if we manage to make sure

00:51this is a huge opportunity also for our businesses.

00:54By the way, that is precisely where France and others are asking for, and rightly so.

01:00This is not just about climate, it is as much about exposing us to future economic success

01:06and making sure we create more independence

01:10and never again become dependent on rogue states like Russia

01:14for something as important as our energy.

01:16And then one of the issues, one of the flexibilities,

01:19which is sort of people are talking about the most,

01:20is this idea of a carbon credit, where other countries,

01:24the EU pays other countries to cut their carbon emissions.

01:27There are real concerns about this around accountability,

01:31whether it will work, whether it's cost effective,

01:33whether we're not redirecting money in the EU,

01:36which could be invested in the EU's own carbon emission reduction schemes.

01:41Yeah, but let's be clear-eyed about what we're doing.

01:44The vast amount of effort and also money will be spent on clean tech,

01:50will be spent on batteries, on solar, on wind, on geothermal,

01:54all sorts of technologies that will help push for more economic growth

01:58and more jobs in Europe.

02:00That's one.

02:01Secondly, and next to that, if it is more cost effective for our own companies

02:06to make sure that they go for part of the solution

02:10and part of the emission reductions outside of Europe,

02:13this is exactly what is opening the door for getting that.

02:17So it's not going to be mandatory,

02:18and companies will only go there if it is cost effective.

02:21Even the EU, the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change,

02:25has advised against this,

02:26and also saying that those countries, often developing countries,

02:30won't meet their climate targets under a Paris accord because of this.

02:33Well, I think actually it's something different,

02:36and also the advisory board, the scientists are telling us something different.

02:40They in itself like the idea of carbon credits and doing exactly this.

02:46They're just saying it should not be part of the 90%,

02:49it should be on top of it.

02:50So that I think is an extremely important distinction.

02:53Secondly, in this hugely complicated geopolitical world,

02:56there is a lot of value also for us in building more bridges

03:00with our friends in Africa and Latin America and other places.

03:03And this is something they're advocating for.

03:06This is something they like.

03:08They often lack the capital, they often lack the opportunity.

03:13Wouldn't it be great if our companies actually build these bridges,

03:17make money and manage this problem

03:20and help to basically drive down emissions at the same time?

03:25But is it not the case that those countries,

03:27their economic growth may be slowed

03:28because they have to take into account their own carbon emissions

03:31as well as the ones they're receiving money for from the European Union?

03:34Whereas the EU can then just pursue economic growth without impeded?

03:38So the presumption that underlies your question suggests actually that there is some sort of a discrepancy

03:48between on the one hand economic growth and on the other hand climate action.

03:52And our job is to make sure that we continue with climate action,

03:57but do so in a way that works for our people, works for our companies and works for our economy.

04:02Personally, I think that is very much doable.

04:05But we need to make sure that on top of this setting this target,

04:09we have the conversation about how European companies are going to be the winners of the future in cleantech,

04:15how we are much stricter about a level playing field that is fair to our companies

04:20rather than that they face unfair competition, particularly from China.

04:24How do we make sure we make life much simpler for our businesses?

04:27Because frankly speaking, we have made it too complicated.

04:29I suppose just one of the issues around this is that there's an anxiety that this is just another element

04:35of chipping away at the Green Deal.

04:37And we look at the Commission, for example, potentially getting rid of, I don't know if it is or not,

04:42the corporate greenwashing legislation.

04:45I mean, what is the position on that?

04:46Let's look into this specific proposal, what it is.

04:50On the one hand, it is clearly ambitious because of the true north it sets in terms of action.

04:56That helps, by the way, also for our companies because it gives predictability on where the European Union wants to go.

05:04And indeed, it offers flexibility and I would say pragmatism in part of the design.

05:10Another part of it as well is the legislation around deforestation, the nature restoration law,

05:15something that the EPP, your own political group, me again, was heralding as one of the most important pieces of the Green Deal

05:22and then wanted to reject an end.

05:24Can you understand why people are anxious about this direction?

05:27Again, what we need to make sure is that we become less one-dimensional in the whole conversation about climate

05:35and about all the topics related to this.

05:38We need to go all in in the domain of decarbonisation.

05:43And we need to do so for reasons of climate change, for reasons of industrial survival and success,

05:50and for reasons of independence.

05:52And if we are able to find that nexus of climate action, clean technology and industrial growth,

06:00I am very sure that we have a recipe that will work for everyone in the European Union.

06:05But just specifically, can you understand why people are anxious that one minute we have this Green Deal

06:11when we have a biodiversity collapse at the moment and then the EPP saying, actually, let's scrap that.

06:16And then similarly with deforestation and similarly with this.

06:20Let's take stock of the fact that this is the largest transition in energy that we have seen in more than 100 years.

06:28Our true north is clear.

06:30It is absolutely clear where we want to go.

06:32It is also smart to be flexible on the how, to be pragmatic and look at what works.

06:37If it doesn't work, you will need to course correct.

06:40And I think it is much smarter, and our citizens understand, to then do that and just, you know,

06:46continue with something that apparently didn't work.

06:49So with nature restoration, what would be the alternative?

06:52Because when you're looking at literally a biodiversity collapse.

06:55What we need to build, in my view, is a system where taking care of our forests also works economically,

07:03where there is a business case also for all the foresters that are doing a great job.

07:08that has all sorts of consequences for the longevity of certain trees.

07:12That has all sorts of consequences for the biodiversity in our forests.

07:17That's not easy, certainly not with the state in which our forests are today.

07:20But I think we can do better.

07:23You've said in the past a few times that you don't see global warming as a political issue.

07:26It shouldn't be, at least.

07:27But obviously it is, because you look at the European Parliament that has moved very much to the right,

07:31even the EPP when it comes to the climate issue.

07:35And some member states, the likes of the Prime Minister of Italy, saying, you know,

07:39it's ideological, the issue of global warming.

07:42So first, just to be crystal clear, the problem of climate change is there.

07:47It is man-made, and it will become worse before it gets better, particularly in Europe.

07:52The world is warming up roughly with 1.5 degree by now.

07:57Europe is at twice that number.

07:58We're talking about three degrees.

07:59The impact on our societies, on our people, on our businesses, on our communities,

08:05in terms of floods, in terms of wildfires, is very, very significant.

08:10On top of that, the economic impact is easily between 50 and 100 billion,

08:15and that number will only go up.

08:16So there is a clear imperative, and in my view also a responsibility for politicians,

08:23to make sure our people are not in harm's way, and we do something about it.

08:28What about the fact that the United States is also off the pitch

08:30when it comes to the fight against global warming?

08:33One of the first things, obviously, Donald Trump did was to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord,

08:37and we see the policies enacted.

08:40Well, that is clearly deeply unfortunate, and a major blow to international efforts.

08:45Earlier on in the interview, I was saying that climate change doesn't discriminate.

08:51It doesn't matter for the heating up of the planet where CO2 is being pumped into the air.

08:57And if then the second largest emitter, the most formidable power across the globe in geopolitical terms,

09:04and the largest economy basically says, well, thanks but no thanks, we no longer play ball,

09:09that is, of course, something that has very significant consequences.

09:12At the same time, my read is that you will see in the US that whenever an investment in, for example,

09:20cleantech pays off, and as a side effect is also something that is good for climate,

09:26businesses are not going to stop it.

09:27Yeah, do you think that could be an upshot for the European Union?

09:31Because we saw the likes of Draghi and others have said that innovation can't thrive in the European Union,

09:36but it can do in the United States.

09:38But maybe do you think that the EU could make an effort to try to bring a lot of that back,

09:43a specific effort, not just a sort of an accidental one where they decide themselves?

09:47Our quest for innovation, our objective, is much more fundamental,

09:52and we need to reshape the landscape in such a way that innovation can flourish across Europe.

09:59And that will take huge steps in terms of the Capital Markets Union.

10:02That will take way more investments from businesses and governments alike in tech and in AI.

10:09And that also will take simplification.

10:11And, by the way, as I said before, making sure there is a level playing field

10:16where our companies face competition, but fair competition,

10:20and not heavily state-subsidized competition from China.

10:23Is the EU about to meet that moment?

10:25Absolutely, absolutely.

10:27But the one thing I will say is we will need considerable speed going forward,

10:32and that is exactly what this Commission seeks to deliver.

10:35And final question.

10:36The EU is obviously pursuing trade across the world outside the United States

10:41because of the ongoing trade war.

10:43But in the past, the EU has said that any new trade agreements

10:46will have to have very strong stipulations about protecting the environment and so on.

10:50Do you think that those might fall by the wayside in pursuit of trade deals

10:54to ensure that we have proper economic growth?

10:57No, I don't.

10:58And Mercosur is one of the great examples of that.

11:00That's exactly the type of deal that we seek.

11:03It opens up a huge market for our companies.

11:07By the way, it is also hugely attractive for our friends in Latin America.

11:10And it has clear prerequisites also in the domain of climate and of the environment.

11:17But the farmers who are in government in the Netherlands,

11:19who are obviously in a...

11:20The government has collapsed, but they're still in a government there.

11:24They are not happy with Mercosur.

11:26I have a different read.

11:27And if you would ask also the agri-commissioner, Hansen,

11:32he will be the first to articulate to you that particularly also for our own sector,

11:37there is a huge opportunity.

11:39That on top of that, he has been...

11:41And the commission has been taken mitigating measures

11:44to make sure it is fair for everyone.

11:47And that is also the reason why, at least in my read,

11:49this is so broadly supported across member states.

11:52Okay, Commissioner, thank you very much for joining us on your conversation.

11:55Thank you.

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