During a debate with the Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, Nicolas Schmit, MEPs discussed, on Thursday 20 April, the recently published report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Urgency. The vast majority of MEPs agreed on the climate urgency facing the EU. For example, Tiemo Wölkken (S&D, German) said: “The consequences of climate change are not a problem for the next generation, but for the current generation”. This was echoed by Slovak MEP Martin Hojsik (Renew Europe): “Today we see that half of our continent is facing droughts”.
Divergent solutions. And if a certain cohesion is emerging in the face of this alarm sounded by the IPCC, various and divergent voices have been raised to highlight the shortcomings of European policies.
On the far right, for Jordan Bardella (ID, French) “punitive ecology, which remains the credo chosen by the European Union”, is not “the best ally for the climate”. The MEP made the case for “technological innovation” and defended nuclear power.
Martin Hojsik, who is calling for “correct financial instruments”, supports the use of “solar and photovoltaic panels” and wind power for more energy independence.
The Spanish MEP, César Luena (S&D), questioned whether the desire to “remain competitive” was the “best way to assume responsibility”. “If you really want to manage the situation properly, you have to try to minimise the effects”, he said.
One last point, on which the Greens/EFA MEP, Bas Eickhout (Dutch), joined him: “The IPCC is very clear in saying that we need rapid mitigation and adaptation action”. A direction which, in his view, is causing some cold feet.
Against the “balanced approach”. “When we gain in concreteness, everyone reacts by saying ‘no, we need a balanced approach’, that's kind of the slogan, the Bible, of the Commission”, he said.
For several MEPs, dissension emerges when it comes to a concrete response. Terry Reintke (Greens/EFA, German) denounced: “When we talk about this subject in a more abstract way, unity exists. But we start to divide when we talk about concrete actions”. A blockage that could be the result of a certain lack of political will.
“We know what we have to do, we have the means to do it, but what is missing is the political will”, said Silvia Modig (The Left, Finnish). “We have the ‘Fit for 55’, but we need 75% ambition for our climate targets, not just 55”, said Stanislav Polcak (EPP, Czech).
Thus, according to the MEPs, if concrete action cannot wait, it cannot be done without greater political ambition. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)