Editor's note
International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics
Tuesday, 19.03.2024, 03:48
"Green Deal” for Europe and the Baltics
The “green deal” issues are both urgent and practical for
the EU member states and globally: it is existential as in 20 countries most vulnerable to climate change about 85per
cent of people are in extreme poverty. In the EU the issue is existential too: Venice
has been under water (first time in half a century), Portugal's forests are on
fire and Lithuania's harvests have been cut by almost half because of droughts.
The new Commission intends to take active measures to combat the threat of climate
change: the faster the EU institutions are moving, the greater the advantage
will be for the citizens, the states’ prosperity and competitiveness.
Double goal
The urgent
measures have been already announced this June at the EU summit to make the EU
states “climate-neutral” by 2050. However, the plan was not approved as 3 member
states (Hungary, Poland and Czech Republic) didn’t agree on expected
transformation measures. Then, during summer and autumn the EU figured out
coordination actions among four main sectors involved – climate, environmental,
health and economic. Several member states have already adopted some
implementation plans, e.g. Denmark approved a national strategy to reduce by
70% CO2 emissions up to 2030. However, the financial aspects of transition are
still quite unclear: mainly for Central and Eastern EU states.
As soon as the EU’s “green deal” is going to be so important for
citizens’ health and the states’ economies, all these activities will be
coordinated by the Commission executive vice-president, Frans
Timmermans supported by Kadri Simson (commissioner for energy) and
Adina Vălean (commissioner for
transport), to name a few.
The “green deal” is a new EU growth strategy with the aim of reducing emissions
while creating jobs. Thus, at the center of the strategy is a perspective industrial development to enable the SMEs to
innovate, develop new technologies and creating new markets. In this way the
EU’s corporate activities would set up global sustainable standards and
increasing European competitive advantage. It is going to be the best way to
ensure a sustainable level-playing field while acting positively in climate and
environment sectors with affordable, clean and secure energy.
Thus, the EU’s
double goal for the member states is: a) to reduce by half the CO2 emissions by
2030 and b) to make the whole European continent (as well as the member states)
CO2 neutral by 2050. In March 2020, the Commission will propose for
the member states a first-ever European Climate Law to make the transition to
climate neutrality irreversible.
“Generational transition”
The “green deal”
is going to represent a generational transition towards climate neutrality in
all EU states by mid-century, being both just and inclusive. The process will need huge investment (public
and private, Union’s and national) in innovation, research, infrastructure,
housing and education.
The new
Commission “will mainstream climate financing throughout the EU budget, but
also throughout capital markets and the entire investment chain”. The
Commission’s President noted that the EU “will support people and businesses with a targeted just transition
mechanism, cutting across different funds and instruments and attract
private investment”. In this huge task, the European Investment Bank will take
an active part, e.g. through the strengthening the role of the EU “climate bank”
to boost investment in European technologies and solutions.
Although the EU
states account only for about 9 per cent of global emissions, the new
Commission’s team intends to go on with the global-wide Emissions Trading
Systems; Commissioner Phil Hogan (trade)
will ensure that the EU future international trade agreements would include chapters
on sustainable development.
Citation from: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH_19_6408
These issues shall
go hand-in-hand with the EU’s competitive sustainability, as the EU states have
been for already four years committed to the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals, SDGs. Hence, the Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni (economic development) will oversee the SDGs
implementation aspects in the member states.
Actually, things
are more complicated: people care more about the air they breathe, the water they drink, the
food they consume, as well as the nature’s quality. Several new Commissioners
are dealing with these issues: e.g. Virginijus
Sinkevičius (environment) will leading the EU’s efforts for preserving
European biodiversity and surrounding seas, while ensuring that EU’s coastal
and fishing communities can happily survive.
Besides, Janusz Wojciechowski (agriculture)
will ensure that the European farmers can progress in adapting to new
agro-sustainability. The Union’s general approach will persist: sustainable farming will remain a valuable part of European
culture and progress. Sustainable agro-production is becoming a strong
priority with additional access to financial support for young farmers.
However, the EU institutions and those in the member states shall see that imported
food products from third countries comply with the Union's environmental quality
standards.
My personal remark to the “green deal” is a very positive
one: it is better to do something good, rather that wishing to deliver on
something that might be politically correct. Quite practical example to the “green deal”: each Christmas-New Year
period, in various countries lots of paper for decoration and wrappings is
consumed. For example, Danes are using about 825 tons of all sorts of wrapping
papers for presents. To produce it, about 900 tons of wood is used with 837
tons of chemicals and about 77 thousand liters of water. Quite a burden for
nature...