Tail shot of theideological environmentalism of Brussels a few months before the elections. That wasn’t enough tractor protest and the outcry from more and more governments EU to make people reflect on a path towards climate neutrality a forced stages that puts important industrial and agricultural sectors are at risk and hundreds of thousands of jobs in Europe. There Commissiondespite now being close to the end of its mandate, has decided to publish some new recommendations on the environmental policies front and, in particular, regarding the path towards the 2050 objective of climate neutrality. The highest executive body of the EU has indicated a 90% cut for net greenhouse gas emissions by 2040compared to 1990 levels. Indications non-bindingwhich will have to be discussed, but which indicate that the current EU majority does not intend to take into any consideration the proposal for a green transition more closely linked to reality.
An unrealistic and dangerous road map
Il new goal it’s even still more pressing compared to what was established in the past: Brussels had in fact established a path towards climate neutrality for 2050 which envisaged an intermediate stage in 2030, when emissions will have to be cut by at least 55%. To this end, the Commission had launched the plan “Green Deal” and a number of other measures including the increasingly contested stop the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 20355. Furthermore, the decarbonisation of other economic sectors such as air and maritime transport and energy production, the restoration of natural areas or the carbon tax at borders was envisaged. The new objective instead aligns with the 2015 Paris agreementswhich commits nations (many, however, have not signed up to it) to launch technological changes capable of containing the Earth’s average temperature below 1.5 degrees centigrade. But this entails, again according to the Paris Agreement, a 90% reduction in emissions. A judged objective “unrealistic and dangerous” since it presupposes the drastic transformation of the entire economic system of the European Union.
Demagogy and the June vote
However, what the European Commission wants to impose clashes with the rejection by governments and large sections of the European population. The massive diffusion of renewable sources, the definitive stop to the use of coal and the gradual elimination of gas in energy production, as well as profound changes in transport, agriculture, buildings or factories in the times foreseen by the new indications would put millions of businesses and families are on their knees. In this sense, the growing protests by farmers in various EU countries due to the excessive burdens imposed by European environmental policies are a first sign of what can happen in the coming months. The recommendations published by the current executive body are not binding, as mentioned, but the path is marked, provided that June elections there will be no profound changes in the composition of the Parliament and the Commission as a result route change.