Despite weeks of demonstrations by aggrieved farmers in the heart of the Union, EU authorities demand a 90% slash in greenhouse gas emissions to curb the impact of climate change.
“Based on the best available science, and a detailed impact assessment, we are recommending that the 2040 target should be a 90 percent emission cut,” said EU climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra comparing current targets to 1990 levels, according to France24.
EU farmers are already discontent as inflation and shorter income are making it increasingly difficult to feed the growing population, and now the new demands from governments have sparked outrage – making it tougher for the Union to get their goals in order.
The new targets stirred some debate in the European Parliament’s (EP) plenary session in Strasbourg, where conservatives strongly opposed the demands over potential ‘social consequences.’
“Have you told farmers and the people that energy, transport, housing, meat and other basic foodstuffs will be more expensive?” said Czech MEP Alexandr Vondra who took the floor in the EP, as quoted by Euractiv.
However, the demonstrations may have worked out in the farmers’ favor, because the European Commission (EC) reportedly removed a few ‘key passages’ from the 2040 climate proposal, POLITICO reports.
The initial draft proposal suggested a “30% cut to agricultural pollution between 2015 and 2040,” which has been dropped, according to POLITICO.
POLITICO added that EC has now reportedly removed the “recommendations for citizens to make changes to their behavior, like eating less meat, and a push to end fossil fuel subsidies.”
EU’s objectives have also been a topic for think tank Équilibre des énergies (EdEn), which warned the Union about the financial aspects – adding that the energy transition would arguably add at least €1 trillion of annual costs.
