How the New EU Green Deal Chief Plans to Tackle Climate Change and Balance Industry Needs
Introduction
The new EU Green Deal chief, Maroš Šefčovič, has pledged to engage in “intense” talks with industry and voters regarding the bloc’s climate change measures. As concerns about potential watering down of the legislation arise, Šefčovič aims to strike a balance between the Commission’s ambitious climate targets and the maintenance of the European industry’s strong position in the global economy. This leadership change in the EU’s green portfolio comes at a crucial time as the bloc works towards achieving its climate goals. However, there has been resistance from various parties who fear the high costs of compliance in the context of inflation and staff pressures.
Maintaining Climate Ambition
Šefčovič reassures that the Commission’s climate ambition remains intact and emphasizes that they need to work closely with those responsible for implementing the policies. However, climate activists and environmental groups, such as Friends of the Earth and the European Environmental Policy Institute, have called on Šefčovič to maintain pressure on industry to reduce carbon emissions. They highlight the importance of environmental protection and express concerns about potential weakening of green legislation ahead of the European elections next June.
Balancing Industry Interests
Commission officials have noted that Šefčovič is more closely aligned with the industry compared to his predecessor, Frans Timmermans. BusinessEurope, a Europe-wide lobby group, has welcomed Šefčovič’s focus on industry, indicating that it could benefit European businesses. The EU’s green laws and climate targets require cooperation and support from industries to ensure successful implementation. However, critics argue that corporate lobbying against crucial policies undermines the progress made so far and urge Šefčovič not to give in to such pressures.
Challenges Ahead
The autumn negotiations on a controversial law to restore nature will be a test for Šefčovič and his climate ambitions. Conservative lawmakers have condemned this law, making it a challenging issue to navigate. Additionally, the Commission needs to decide on banning the use of cages on farms and shortening livestock journeys, following a petition by 1.4 million EU citizens. These decisions will showcase Šefčovič’s commitment to the Green Deal.
The Role of Šefčovič
Šefčovič, who previously oversaw the bloc’s efforts to coordinate gas purchases, will play a crucial role in shaping the rules to reform the EU’s energy market and support its clean industries. He will need to balance the demands of industry while ensuring progress towards the EU’s climate goals. His predecessor, Timmermans, was known for his strong stance on climate change, and it remains to be seen how Šefčovič will approach this challenging role.
Conclusion
As the EU seeks to finalize and enforce its “Green business” laws, the appointment of Maroš Šefčovič as the EU Green Deal chief brings both opportunities and challenges. Balancing climate ambition with the needs of the industry will be a delicate task. It is crucial for Šefčovič to maintain pressure on industry to reduce carbon emissions while navigating resistance and lobbying efforts. The decisions made in the near future on nature restoration and animal welfare will test Šefčovič’s commitment to the climate agenda. With the European elections approaching, maintaining momentum and delivering on climate commitments will be vital.
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The new EU Green Deal chief has promised “intense” talks with industry and voters on the bloc’s measures to fight climate change, amid concerns raised by environmental groups that Brussels could water down the legislation further.
Maroš Šefčovič on Wednesday sought to strike a balance between the European Commission’s ambitious climate targets and what he described as helping the continent’s industry “maintain their traditionally very strong position in the global economy”.
The Slovak commissioner replaced Frans Timmermans as deputy chairman of the commission on Tuesday, after the Dutch politician resigned to run in national elections.
The leadership change in the EU’s green portfolio comes at a crucial time for the bloc as it seeks to finalize and enforce its “Green business” laws designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the 27 member states by 55% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.
In recent months, Brussels’ efforts to promote climate laws they were resisted by right-wing politicians, farmers, some consumers and industry sectors who fear that the cost of compliance will be too high in a context of high inflation and staff pressures.
Commission officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that Šefčovič is closer to industry than Timmermans. BusinessEurope, the Europe-wide lobby group, has welcomed its “strong focus on industry”.
Climate activists including Friends of the Earth and the European Environmental Policy Institute have warned that Šefčovič must maintain pressure on industry to cut carbon emissions and protect the environment amid a growing backlash against green legislation in view of the European elections next June.
“We ask Šefčovič not to lose sight of the crucial environmental dossiers to be closed before the elections,” said Antoine Oger, director of research at the IEEP. Šefčovič, who recently oversaw the bloc’s efforts to coordinate gas purchases, will have an instrumental role to play in shaping the rules to reform the EU’s energy market and boost its clean industries, Oger added.
“The backlash against crucial policies of the European Green Deal, driven by corporate lobbies, severely undermines the efforts made so far,” said Paul de Clerck, program coordinator at FOE Europe. “Šefčovič has little time to leave his mark, keep his ambition alive and not give in to corporate scaremongering”.
Šefčovič told the FT that the commission’s climate ambition “remains intact”.
“This is a flagship policy. We are in the implementation phase and we need to work with those who have to implement it,” she said.
Manon Dufour, head of the Brussels office of climate think tank E3G, said negotiations in the autumn on a controversial law to restore nature, condemned by conservative lawmakers, would be “a test” for Šefčovič and his climate ambitions.
“We can only hope it continues in the trend of its predecessor,” he said.
Timmermans made a name for himself speaking passionately about the need to tackle climate change, often citing his grandchildren coping with life in an “unlivable” world. He had a close relationship with US climate envoy John Kerry.
A former commission official said Šefčovič had not appeared “too industry-friendly in the past”, but said it was noteworthy that the announcement of his role was given “an industrial twist”.
A directive on the taxation of highly polluting types of fuel has been quietly shelved, according to EU diplomats, while proposals to create more sustainable food systems are unlikely to materialize, another EU official said.
Another test will be whether the Commission moves forward with a plan to ban the use of cages on farms and shorten livestock journeys before the end of the year, after 1.4 million EU citizens petitioned for a legislation. The proposal, if presented, would be part of the Green Deal.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called on the Dutch government to name a suitable successor to the climate portfolio. That person, who will remain in office until the end of the Commission’s mandate in November next year, will lead negotiations for the EU at the COP28 climate summit in December if the appointment is approved in time. Šefčovič will keep the title of Vice-President of the European Green Deal until the end of his mandate.
On Tuesday, von der Leyen called for “an even more intense dialogue with industry, key stakeholders such as forest owners, farmers and citizens” on Green Deal laws.
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