The bloc's landmark agreement was initially met with praise but has since hit a few roadblocks.
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00:00 Once a point of political convergence, the European Green Deal is now a source of opposition
00:06 within the EU. The European Commission`s flagship project is under increasing attack with its
00:12 nature restoration law called into question, the use of herbicide glyphosate extended for
00:16 another 10 years, the pesticide regulation rejected and the EU`s chemical strategy postponed.
00:24 For the Greens, the atmosphere is disrupting the bloc`s objective of carbon neutrality
00:30 by 2050.
00:31 People say too many crisis. Don`t bother me with too many crisis. We have war, we have
00:37 inflation, I`m afraid I might lose my job. I don`t know who will care for me when I`m
00:43 old because our societies are growing older. And all these issues together garnered with
00:49 populistic attacks using social media, spreading fake news, make a toxic mixture of rejection
00:56 against the Green Deal.
00:58 Over the past four years, the EU has rapidly adopted multiple laws, including those in
01:03 favor of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, a carbon board attacks and the
01:07 eventual end of the combustion engine. 12 out of 13 pieces of legislation have been
01:14 adopted to meet the 2030 target of reducing CO2 emissions by 55 percent.
01:20 But it`s not over yet. The political terrain now seems favorable to a more right-wing approach.
01:26 Sometimes we over - we have overdone it or the majority in the parliament have overdone
01:31 it, not giving people the choice, but making very prescriptive decisions from the European
01:37 level, which is never a good idea. When we do everything that the green wants, we will
01:44 either not achieve our climate targets or we will lose a lot of jobs and competitiveness.
01:49 And both is not good. We should prioritize, we should not overdo it and we should take
01:55 people along.
01:56 Some industrial sectors and businesses as well as the farming community feel that complying
02:00 with environmental regulations entails an additional burden. Despite these headwinds,
02:06 the commission intends to stay the course.
02:11 We truly need to do two things. One is continue with our ambition, because it is the reality
02:17 and climate change is at everyone`s doorstep. Having said that, we need to bridge that with
02:23 making sure there is a perspective for our citizens, there is a perspective for our companies
02:28 and do more to make sure, you know, that companies can continue to strive, that people do see
02:35 a bright future, even if circumstances might change.
02:39 Climate protection is more than just an environmental issue. It`s also in the EU`s interest if it
02:43 doesn`t want to be relegated in the industrial race for green technologies in the face of
02:47 China and the United States, who both want to win this battle.
02:52 The forthcoming European negotiations to set environmental targets for 2040 will therefore
02:56 be an indicator of the bloc`s ambition.
02:58 [SWOOSH]