Uphill roadway for Europe's climate strategy after EU election

A more rightwardleaning European Parliament will make it more difficult to pass ambitious EU environment policies, however most of Europe's present worldleading green policies are most likely to stay put, legislators, authorities and analysts said.

Provisional results in the European Parliament election on Sunday night showed centrist celebrations holding a bulk, but gains for conservative and far-right celebrations sceptical of the EU's. Green Offer package of ecological policies, and heavy losses. for Green parties.

I don't think that we'll be rolling back on (climate). policies. But I do think that it will be more complex to get. brand-new policies off the ground, Bas Eickhout, head of the European. Parliament's Greens legislator group, told .

EU climate measures over the next 5 years will depend upon. the inbound European Commission, which is responsible for. proposing EU laws. But the newly-elected European Parliament. will get a say on every brand-new green policy.

Sunday's election result signals harder maths to authorize. new EU environment measures.

All brand-new policies will be harder to pass. But backsliding is. extremely not likely, Krzysztof Bolesta, Poland's secretary of state. for environment, told .

It is possible that new ambition will be delayed, mainly. for populistic reasons, concurred Julian Popov, who up until April. was EU member Bulgaria's environment minister.

That might have consequences for an upcoming 2040 EU. environment target, required to guide the EU towards its 2050 net zero. emissions target. The EU Commission has actually recommended the 2040 objective. should be an enthusiastic 90% emissions cut, however it needs approval. from both EU countries and the Parliament.

The upcoming European Commission and Parliament will likewise. face tough decisions on whether to introduce brand-new policies to. push industries towards that 2040 target.

That includes farming, a sector whose emissions have hardly. fallen since 2005. However after months of protests across Europe by. angry farmers, there is little political hunger to target the. sector with brand-new guidelines, particularly if the cost of abiding by. them would increase food rates for people currently dealing. with the greatest dive in living costs in a generation.

Shares in renewable energy companies were

knocked

lower by concerns the election results might slow the green. energy transition.

Wind turbine makers, Vestas and Nordex. , were down more than 3% on Monday. Orsted. was down 0.5%.

NO BIG U-TURN

While brand-new environment procedures might deal with a tougher trip, a. full-scale turnaround of the lots of EU environment policies passed. in the last 5 years would be lawfully difficult.

Those policies - which include renewable energy targets and. a strengthened carbon prices routine on power and industry - are. repaired into EU law and currently being rolled-out across the bloc's. 27 member states.

Many are currently working. EU emissions are down by almost a. third from 1990 levels, and Europe is setting up wind and solar. energy capability at record speed.

Still, the election project saw mounting calls from the. right to ditch some Green Offer policies - with a prime target. the EU's 2035 ban on brand-new gas and diesel cars. That policy has. a 2026 review provision, on which the Parliament will get a say.

It was an ideological folly, which definitely need to be. corrected, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni informed online. publication Open recently.

3 EU diplomats singled out the 2035 automobile policy as one. that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will. face considerable pressure to damage, consisting of from some. legislators in her centre-right European People's Celebration who want. it scrapped. Von der Leyen needs assistance from a majority of. legislators in the brand-new European Parliament to win a second term.

But broad environment policy rollbacks are not likely, officials. and analysts said. That's partially due to the fact that the EU's existing. climate steps amount to deliver its 2030 environment target - to. cut net greenhouse gas emissions 55% from 1990 levels - which. national governments and legislators both authorized into EU law.

There may well be changes in private pieces of. legislation, however what will be important to watch is how this. builds up, stated Mats Engström, senior fellow at the European. Council on Foreign Relations think-tank.

DON'T CALL IT A 'GREEN' OFFER

Contrary to the last EU election in 2019, when millions of. young environment protesters required to Europe's streets, this year's. campaign saw environment modification took over by problems consisting of. immigration, financial issues and having a hard time European industries.

Fulfilling the EU's 2030 climate target will require. financial investments of 1 trillion euros per year, a dive of around 356. billion annually compared to 2010-2020, according to the. European Financial Investment Bank.

Purchasing local markets was a project pledge throughout. the political spectrum, as competitors sharpens with the U.S. and China to produce green tech like low-carbon steel and. electric cars.

Some experts stated this focus would see the EU pass more. funds and policies to support climate-friendly projects - however. with the concentrate on helping industry, instead of being green. and tidy.

If it has to do with scaling up manufacturing of green. technologies here in Europe, then that may be carried out in the name. of 'commercial competitiveness' and not for the climate, said. Linda Kalcher, Executive Director at think-tank Strategic. Perspectives.

It may be that we see the rhetoric shifting, but the. action on the ground being the same, Kalcher said.

(source: Reuters)