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full screen Naghmeh Nasiritousi, researcher at the Institute for Foreign Policy and Linköping University, says that the EU’s recommendation for a new climate target is a compromise. Archive image. Photo: Rickard Kilström
A compromise influenced by farmers’ protests. This is how researcher Naghmeh Nasiritousi describes the proposal for a new climate target in the EU.
Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2040 is the European Commission’s recommendation for a new climate goal.
Naghmeh Nasiritousi, researcher at the Institute for Foreign Policy and Linköping University, describes it as a balancing act:
– It sounds like a compromise, it is in the lower range of what the EU’s scientific climate council (which advocates an emission reduction of 90-95 percent) recommended. It is not as ambitious as some might have hoped given the state of science and international climate commitments.
Bills are delayed
She also points out that not many details are in place yet either. It will be the new commission, appointed after the EU elections in June, that will present the bill.
– It is difficult to say at the moment what this will result in.
Nasiritousi says that it will be interesting to see if the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wants to stay on for another term.
– It is her conservative party group that has backed down on the climate issue.
In addition, forecasts show that parties further to the right that oppose more ambitious climate policies will make a strong EU choice.
– It will probably be tough to get through more ambitious proposals than this.
Troubled situation
There is growing dissatisfaction with the EU’s stricter climate policy. According to Nasiritousi, the fact that the issue is sensitive and leads to protests is because the situation in the world is so troubled. She mentions, among other things, the pandemic, the Ukraine war and high inflation.
– When you also have to implement a changeover to lower emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, it can be perceived as a lot at once, especially if the changeover is not seen as fair.
In a draft of the commission’s recommendations, wording that specifically targeted the agricultural sector has been removed in an attempt to reassure farmers, according to news site Politico.
– The farmers’ protests that we have seen in various European countries have clearly had an impact there, says Nasiritousi
16 years left
Swedish Business welcomes that there is a clear direction towards 2040 – but now measures are required, urges CEO Jan-Olof Jacke.
– There are 16 years left until 2040, and if the pace is to accelerate, we must deal with things like long lead times in decision-making processes and get the expansion of fossil-free electricity started. Otherwise, this will be a beautiful goal but a bit of a workshop, he tells TT.