EU summit|The line paper prepared by the EU leaders calls for a practical climate policy, the aim of which is to ensure competitiveness.
Brussels
The summary is made by artificial intelligence and checked by a human.
The leaders of the EU countries agreed on a strategic agenda for the years 2024-2029.
Climate policy is practical and the goal is to strengthen competitiveness.
References to the Paris climate agreement and the fight against nature loss have been omitted.
EU leaders want to create a new industry and increase the purchasing power of consumers.
of the EU climate policy is facing a change of pace. This can be inferred from the wording in which EU leaders outline climate policy goals for the next five years.
At the summit that started on Thursday, the leaders of the EU countries agreed on the so-called strategic agenda, i.e. the political guidelines for the years 2024–2029. The agenda’s focus is on strengthening the EU’s competitiveness and security. The way in which leaders are expected to outline climate policy goals is also clearly different from five years ago.
Five years ago, the EU leaders named climate change as an existential threat and wanted the EU to function as a global climate policy leader.
“As the effects of climate change become more and more visible and felt, we urgently need to strengthen our actions to manage this existential threat. The EU can and must lead the way,” the 2019-2024 strategic agenda states.
Now, the central promise of the EU leaders is that the goals already set will be adhered to, but climate policy will be practical in the future.
“On the way to climate neutrality in 2050, we will be practical and utilize the potential of the green and digital transition to create future markets, industry and high-quality jobs,” states the draft prepared by the EU countries.
Five references to the goals of the Paris climate agreement and climate leadership from a year ago have been left out of the new agenda.
Instead, in the new draft agenda, the central goals of climate policy are set to create competitiveness, economic growth and new industry, and even increase the purchasing power of consumers.
“We continue with a fair climate transition, the goal of which is to remain globally competitive and improve energy self-sufficiency.”
However, the paper acknowledges the deterioration of the environment and its effects.
“Our living environment faces increasing damages and disturbances due to climate change, loss of nature and pollution,” the draft states.
Euro elections campaigns from different parts of Europe heard demands for a regulatory break or even some kind of U-turn in climate policy. Such policies have not been included in the draft strategic agenda. Instead, EU leaders promise that regulation will remain stable and predictable.
The final wording may still change during the deliberations of the summit, but the climate section is not expected to arouse special interest from EU leaders.
#summit #leaders #promise #climate #policy #practical
