Opposition to EU Green Deal grows as European elections approach

The bloc's landmark agreement was initially met with praise but has since hit a few roadblocks.

Transcript

00:00 Once a point of political convergence, the European Green Deal is now a source of opposition

00:06 within the EU. The European Commission`s flagship project is under increasing attack with its

00:12 nature restoration law called into question, the use of herbicide glyphosate extended for

00:16 another 10 years, the pesticide regulation rejected and the EU`s chemical strategy postponed.

00:24 For the Greens, the atmosphere is disrupting the bloc`s objective of carbon neutrality

00:30 by 2050.

00:31 People say too many crisis. Don`t bother me with too many crisis. We have war, we have

00:37 inflation, I`m afraid I might lose my job. I don`t know who will care for me when I`m

00:43 old because our societies are growing older. And all these issues together garnered with

00:49 populistic attacks using social media, spreading fake news, make a toxic mixture of rejection

00:56 against the Green Deal.

00:58 Over the past four years, the EU has rapidly adopted multiple laws, including those in

01:03 favor of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, a carbon board attacks and the

01:07 eventual end of the combustion engine. 12 out of 13 pieces of legislation have been

01:14 adopted to meet the 2030 target of reducing CO2 emissions by 55 percent.

01:20 But it`s not over yet. The political terrain now seems favorable to a more right-wing approach.

01:26 Sometimes we over - we have overdone it or the majority in the parliament have overdone

01:31 it, not giving people the choice, but making very prescriptive decisions from the European

01:37 level, which is never a good idea. When we do everything that the green wants, we will

01:44 either not achieve our climate targets or we will lose a lot of jobs and competitiveness.

01:49 And both is not good. We should prioritize, we should not overdo it and we should take

01:55 people along.

01:56 Some industrial sectors and businesses as well as the farming community feel that complying

02:00 with environmental regulations entails an additional burden. Despite these headwinds,

02:06 the commission intends to stay the course.

02:11 We truly need to do two things. One is continue with our ambition, because it is the reality

02:17 and climate change is at everyone`s doorstep. Having said that, we need to bridge that with

02:23 making sure there is a perspective for our citizens, there is a perspective for our companies

02:28 and do more to make sure, you know, that companies can continue to strive, that people do see

02:35 a bright future, even if circumstances might change.

02:39 Climate protection is more than just an environmental issue. It`s also in the EU`s interest if it

02:43 doesn`t want to be relegated in the industrial race for green technologies in the face of

02:47 China and the United States, who both want to win this battle.

02:52 The forthcoming European negotiations to set environmental targets for 2040 will therefore

02:56 be an indicator of the bloc`s ambition.

02:58 [SWOOSH]