Policy
Europe’s Climate Change Policies: Will We Follow?
By Robert Yehling
As Europe and the world reacted with horror to the devastating floods in western Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands in mid-July, officials on both sides of the Atlantic were mulling over a proposal that turned out to have quite auspicious timing: the European Commission’s climate change policies.
biggest climate naysayers were predicting just a decade ago, and the carbon presence in the air topping 419 parts per million (the tipping point toward climate disaster is 350 ppm), we have no time for anything but drastic policy measures.
The goal? To reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 — and to make Europe the world’s first climateneutral continent by 2050.
• The creation of a “carbon border adjustment mechanism”, which would impose tariffs on some goods imported from nonE.U. countries with weaker climate change laws.
These goals were so attainable just 20 years ago — but now feel more and more akin to announcing a manned mission to Jupiter and getting there in 30 years. However, as we saw during the COVID-19 shutdown last year, the Earth is very capable of healing if given half a chance… as in, reduced carbon-based activity by humans.
• Continued tightening of vehicle emissions: a 55 percent reduction from current new car levels by 2030 compared to 2021 levels; and by 100 percent in 2035. Goal is to make all new cars registered in 2035 or later zero-emission.
The package of more than a dozen directives or regulations, sanctioned by the European Union, is loaded with strong, severe, and even drastic suggestions to countries, governments and businesses. But these are drastic times. With both air and ocean temperatures on the rise faster than even the
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SUSTAINABILITY TODAY | SUMMER 2021
Highlights of the European Commission policy proposal include:
• Lowering the cap on emissions from certain economic sectors each year. Of note: the EU has brought down emissions from power generation and energy-intensive industries by nearly 43% since 2004 — far greater than the U.S. • Produce 40% of all energy from renewable sources by 2030 across all member states. • Phase out free emission
allowances for aviation, and address shipping emissions for the first time. • Member states would spend their emissions trading revenues on climate and energy-related projects, including roads, transportation and buildings. • A total carbon removal by natural sinks (forests, grasslands, etc.) of 310 million tons of C02 by 2030. • Creation of a social fund to help low-income families negatively impacted financially by the changes, which will impose costs on both consumers and industry. The plans in the EC policy are interconnected, and apply to all of the EU’s 27 member states. The EU has been working harder than other industrialized nations, or groups of nations, to corral climate change; they’ve been at it since the 21st century began. While these are highly ambitious goals, they should be seen much like we look at a family or business budget when a calamity (like a pandemic) or a major recession hits — cut drastically, and replace with programs and policies that will sustain us well into the future. And, also, making business and society stronger in the process. ■
