Kann die EU Klimaschutz vorantreiben und dabei wettbewerbsfähig bleiben?
Der jüngste Vorschlag der Europäischen Kommission, die Emissionen bis 2040 um 90 % gegenüber dem Stand von 1990 zu reduzieren, wird von europäischen Gesetzgebern, Mitgliedstaaten und Umweltschützern gleichermaßen kritisiert.
LESEN SIE MEHR : http://de.euronews.com/2025/08/12/kann-die-eu-klimaschutz-vorantreiben-und-dabei-wettbewerbsfahig-bleiben
00:00The EU wants to review its climate law, which aims to tackle a central crisis of our time, global warming.
00:19The European Commission has just proposed reducing pollutant emissions by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels in order for the bloc to reach climate neutrality by mid-century.
00:32Now, intense negotiations with the European Council and European Parliament are expected.
00:38EU Decoded asks how we can reconcile the need for economic growth with the fight against climate change.
00:44The sectors that cause the most greenhouse gas emissions are industry, energy production, transportation, agriculture and housing.
00:52The new proposal in the climate law should bridge the gap between the 2030 target to reduce polluting gases by 55% and the aim to achieve net-zero pollution by 2050.
01:03In other words, by mid-century, emissions from economic activity should not contribute to global warming.
01:10This is what was pledged in the 2015 Paris Agreement, which establishes that the planet's average temperature should not exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to the levels at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the early 20th century.
01:24Scientific studies show that over the last century, global warming has caused an increase in heatwaves, droughts, floods and loss of biodiversity.
01:33But what do EU citizens actually think of this proposed review of the EU's climate law?
01:39The economy, I don't think it's the most important in life. I think there are other things that are very important, such as the environment.
01:49They should invest more in different or in new strategies to reduce the pollution.
01:56The EU doesn't need to do anything more if the others do nothing.
01:59Look at America, look at what's going on there, look at India, look at China and let us in the EU just leave the economy alive again.
02:06We will not be able to save this world alone.
02:09We are now joined by Euronews reporter Gregoire Lory, who covered this announcement.
02:26The European Commission is, for the first time, considering allowing government to participate in the international carbon market to offset some of their pollution.
02:34But what exactly is being proposed?
02:36So basically, an EU member state could pay a third country outside the EU to reduce its greenhouse emissions.
02:44And this effort will be included in the minus 90% in the EU.
02:50NGOs are saying it is nonsense because it runs against scientific opinion.
02:55To address this criticism, the Commission is proposing a limited contribution of 3%.
03:00The European Commission is also suggesting that member states could be allowed to use other forms of flexibilities to meet their climate obligations.
03:09But this has also been criticised by environmentalists. Can you explain why?
03:14One is the carbon removal. It could be nature-based or industrial technologies.
03:18And on this point, NGOs are saying that these industrial technologies removers are not developed enough to be scaled up.
03:27The other flexibility, in a nutshell, is that flexibility between sectors, so sectors ahead on their reductions, could compensate those lagging behind.
03:36To what extent is this decision on the 2040 target linked to the proposals that the EU will have to make at the next UN climate summit in November in Brazil,
03:45and for the bloc to retain its position as a global leader in this area?
03:50So the EU, as all the parties to the Paris Agreement, have to submit to the UN their updated NDC, Nationally Determined Contribution.
04:00These new NDCs will cover horizon 2035.
04:05So if the EU wants to send a clear signal to its international partners that it is committed to multilateralism regarding climate, it has to come up with a strong 2040 target.
04:1885% of Europeans said tackling climate change should be an EU priority, according to a survey released by Eurobarometer in June.
04:2781% of those surveyed by the Statistics Agency support the EU-wide goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050.
04:3575% believe that reducing fossil fuel imports will increase energy security.
04:41To accelerate the process, the Commission proposes tax incentives to encourage investments in clean technologies and more public investment in expanding renewable energy sources.
04:51Our guest is Austrian MEP Lena Schillings from The Greens Group.
04:55Thank you very much for joining us.
04:57Thank you for the invitation.
04:58There are now increasingly more climate change skeptics in power, notably in the US, but of course, Europe also has its own climate change skeptics.
05:07So can the EU maintain its commitment to comply with the Paris Agreement to curb global warming?
05:12It is very hard.
05:13I would say in this European Parliament, almost one third of this Parliament are people that deny the climate crisis or say it's not important or whatever.
05:23So, yes, the majorities have changed with the US and Trump saying drill baby drill.
05:29We had a real problem.
05:31A recent bid by the Greens, the Socialists and the Liberals to fast track the review of the climate law through Parliament was blocked by mostly right-wing parties.
05:42Do you think that there is a risk that the negotiations will be bogged down and diluted?
05:47So, yes, the far right blocked it together with the EPP, I want to say very clear at this point.
05:54And now we, together with the Social Democrats and the Liberals, need to get EPP on board.
05:59And that's what we are trying to do, to work together constructively and do another report, other amendments, a whole other story, because we need this climate target.
06:10And it's clear with climate denial, far right, it's impossible to get it.
06:14Some leaders, notably France's Emmanuel Macron, have already said that they oppose for the moment talks over 2040 targets.
06:22Can you tell us a bit more about this?
06:24What Macron is doing here and saying he wants to delay it or whatever, that really messes with the next COP negotiations.
06:32And we are always saying we can't solve the climate crisis alone in Europe.
06:36We need China. We need the US. We need other countries. We need India.
06:41So, yes, we need the Council. Yes, we need the Parliament. And in both institutions, it's hell of a battle.
06:46The EU's upcoming multi-annual budget for 2028 to 2034 focuses on new priorities, namely economic competitiveness and security and defence.
06:57Do you think that funding for the climate transition will be enough to meet the bloc's climate targets?
07:02I have severe doubts. I think there are a few problems with this MFF.
07:08The first one is really so much is unclear. There are a lot of things we need.
07:14We need money for this clean industrial deal. We need money for biodiversity, as I said.
07:19We need money for civil society. But we also need to stop subsidising and funding, harming, climate harming projects or subsidies.
07:32Some say there will be no economy without the planet. On the day he presented his legislative proposal,
07:39the European Commissioner for Climate Change cited the example of Slovenia, which lost 11% of its GDP after devastating floods in 2023.
07:47Let's see if climate policy remains a priority in a time of economic, security and geopolitical turmoil.
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