Presented on Wednesday 26 February, the ‘Clean Industrial Deal’ (CID) is expected to “accelerate decarbonisation”, according to the European Commission (see other news). In any case, most organisations see it as a step forward, with adjustments to be made. Here is an overview of reactions.
“Unlike the United States, this strategy does not mark a return to the old oil, gas and coal economy, but is driven by decarbonisation”, praised the pro-European think-tank Strategic Perspectives.
The air and sea transport sector has also seen positive signs in the CID. The World Shipping Council (WSC) said it was “really pleased to see investments in renewable energy, green hydrogen, and clean transport infrastructure prioritised today”.
The same is true of the European aviation sector, which, under the banner ‘Destination 2050’, has welcomed “a positive first step towards balancing industrial decarbonisation and economic competitiveness”, but is still waiting for the implementation of the ‘Sustainable Transport Investment Plan’ (STIP).
The picture is more mixed for the steel sector. “The Commission identifies the right challenges but falls short of providing concrete policy responses to turn the tide”, said Axel Eggert, Director General of the European Steel Association (EUROFER). In his view, “concrete solutions are either left open for later decisions” (loopholes in the CBAM, global steel overcapacity) or addressed in an incomplete manner (energy prices). The sector is “very much looking forward” to the first meeting of the Commission’s Strategic Dialogue on Steel, scheduled for 4 March.
The CID’s climate ambitions are raising questions. One of the pillars of the CID, the circular economy, is not sufficiently exploited in the Commission’s proposal, according to the NGO Zero Waste Europe.
“Circularity measures, and the Deal in particular, should serve as a guiding compass for transforming how we consume and produce, empowering communities, and building resilient economies through job creation in circular sectors”, said Aline Maigret of Zero Waste Europe.
However, by postponing its proposed target for 2040, the EU is not serving its stated desire to “accelerate the deployment of renewable energies and electrification” and is sending out a “bad signal for climate ambition”, according to the NGO Transport & Environment (T&E), which believes that the legislative simplification advocated by the European Commission risks weakening “Europe’s sustainability leadership”.
While the ‘Clean Industrial Deal’ is supposed to support aviation and maritime transport in their transition to green fuels, T&E believes that the “proposed state aid reforms are insufficient to fix an outdated system”. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)