EU top job candidate promises "Green Deal" and "Climate Law" for Europe ahead of crunch vote
The German candidate for president of the European Commission, defence minister Ursula von der Leyen, has put climate policy front and centre of her pitch to members of the European Parliament, who are due to vote on the EU top job later in the day.听
鈥淥ur most pressing challenge is keeping our planet healthy. It is the greatest responsibility and opportunity of our times,鈥� she said . She said she would introduce a "Green Deal" for Europe in her first 100 days in office, including a continent-wide "Climate Law" to enshrine the goal of climate neutrality by 2050 into law. Shortly after the speech, von der Leyen published her 21-page 鈥溾�� with details on her proposals.
With her remarks, von der Leyen doubled down on earlier climate policy promises already made in . She said the 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal of 40 percent is 鈥渘ot enough鈥� and called for a 鈥渢wo-step approach鈥� to reduce emissions by 鈥�50, if not 55 percent鈥�.听
Von der Leyen needs the backing of an absolute majority in the European Parliament to be confirmed as president of the European Commission.听Her nomination has been controversial because she was not one of the leading candidates in the European parliament elections. Climate and energy policy have never been her brief or the focus of her political engagement, though she indicated in recent comments that she took the climate crisis seriously.
While von der Leyen鈥檚 win is uncertain, commentators and parliamentarians said . She of most in the two largest groups, the conservative EPP and the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), as well as the liberals (Renew Europe).
Von der Leyen鈥檚 remarks are to reverse their decision not to give the German minister their votes, but it is 鈥渋llustrative of how deep into the mainstream the fight against climate change has penetrated in the era of Fridays for Future [and] surging Green parties,鈥� wrote the Economist columnist Jeremy Cliffe .听
Von der Leyen said under her the EU 鈥渨ill lead international negotiations to increase the level of ambition of other major economies by 2021鈥�, as the world had to 鈥渕ove together鈥� to achieve real impact on climate change. She added that an increase in ambition will need 鈥渋nvestments on a major scale鈥� and she intended to propose a sustainable Europe investment plan and turn part of the European Investment Bank (EIB) a 鈥渃limate bank鈥�, which would unlock one trillion euros over the next decade. Von der Leyen plans to introduce a carbon border tax to avoid carbon leakage.听
