Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen (Ap). Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB
The Greens rage in the EU Parliament. But climate minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen (Ap) understands that climate has fallen out of the EU’s next five-year plan.
Climate and everything to do with climate and the so-called green shift have for some time been at the top of the political agenda both in the EU and in Norway.
But now it may look as if the climate issue is about to lose part of its priority.
In the EU’s new five-year plan, for example, climate is not mentioned at all, having previously been a central point.
Suddenly there are other matters that you want to put most of the weight on instead.
NTB Bibiana Piene reports on the case.
In the plan for 2024–2029, the pressure is on defence, security and competitiveness, as well as energy and migration.
Norway’s climate minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen (Ap) believes this is a natural development in this planning system, as the world looks now:
– The EU’s strategic agenda as it is now formulated is based on the world we live in. And on a geopolitical situation which unfortunately makes it absolutely necessary that security moves up the agenda, says the climate and environment minister to NTB.
In its latest five-year plan, which expires this year, the EU set the green shift at the very top.
This resulted, among other things, in a climate act in 2021 that binds the countries to cut 55 percent of emissions in 2030, compared to the level in 1990, and to be climate neutral by 2050.
In addition, the EU has adopted a comprehensive legislative package, “Fit for 55”, which contains a number of climate measures.
– Adjusts the course
In the new plan, climate has so far not been mentioned a single word.
The climate minister tries to explain this, without at the same time admitting that his own position has lost its political relevance:
– This means in and of itself that the EU is adjusting the course. I understand that. But I don’t think we can read it in such a way that climate has become less important for the EU, says Bjelland Eriksen.
– I also think the EU is clearer than before in seeing climate, security and self-sufficiency in a context. I think that makes sense.
Philippe Lamberts, spokesperson for the party group The Greens in the EU Parliament, completely disagrees with this. They believe that climate has simply been pushed into the background:
– It is absolutely incredible, he rages.
He believes that the absence of climate in the five-year plan shows that the major parties do not see the connection.
– If they did, climate would have been mentioned. At least pro forma, but they don’t even bother with that, he says to NTB.
Far from the goal
Despite the fact that in the last five years a record has been set in climate legislation, the EU is far from the target, Lamberts believes.
Now the future of several planned new climate regulations in the EU has become completely uncertain.
Climate activist Lamberts believes that more, and not less, climate policy is needed in the EU:
– We need a “Green deal” 2.0, he says.
But it’s about money. Climate change alone is estimated to cost up to 600 billion euros a year.
Investments in defense and industry will also cost large sums.
Where the money will be taken from is one of the big questions. Climate does not seem to be the winner in the battle for funds, safety comes first.
– Must secure the industry
Bjelland Eriksen, for his part, believes that for the EU it is now mostly about implementing all the climate laws that have been adopted.
– And there is no doubt that while the climate plan must be fixed, it must be implemented in a way that ensures industrial competitiveness in Europe. That we should have industrial companies that can develop, he says.
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