Climate Politics
EU Risks Escalating Spat With Farmers, Business Over Climate
- Executive arm recommends 90% net emissions cut by 2040
- Green shift adds fuel to farmer protests ahead of EU elections
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The European Union issued its most ambitious climate roadmap just as the bloc is facing severe headwinds from angry farmers and an ailing industrial base increasingly alarmed about the high costs of a rapid green transition.
EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra pitched to the bloc Tuesday a 90% net emissions reduction by 2040 as the best way to achieve its Green Deal goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050. The recommendation kicks off a political debate across the continent, marking the first step toward rules for the next decade that will require more sustainable consumer lifestyles and restrictions on businesses and agriculture.