During the recent election campaign, Karol Nawrocki promised “rejection Green“, and Rafał Trzaskowski tried to pretend that there is no green order. Poland is not lonely in a wave of skepticism or even sharp opposition to the climate and environmental policy of the EU. However, the rumors about its death are very exaggerated.
In the statements of EU officials and messages of the European Commission, “climate” and “greenness” largely replaced “security” and “competitiveness”. At the same time, they emphasize that this is not a 180 degree turn, but an attempt to find a better path to the same purposes. And they argue that the protection of nature and climate does not contradict the security and development of the economy, but on the contrary – they can provide them.
Fight for resources
Next year, the European Commission wants to show new regulations regarding the Circular Economy ACT (it was the main topic of the Green Week. During the conference, which took place at the beginning of June, it was said, among others on the construction of a common waste market, the consumption of regulations in this area between EU countries or recycling development.
The latter is not a new topic, but in practice it is still limping. Some EU countries do not meet the goals regarding the level of recycling, and plastic remains the biggest challenge.
EU Commissioner for Environment and Competitive Economy with a closed circulation Jessika Rosall at a meeting with journalists in Brussels She argued that the development of the economy in which waste becomes resources is not only a matter of environmental protection, but also a necessary element of the development of the EU economy. She also emphasized that the EU is a global leader in this respect, and our companies deal with waste management on other continents.
The commission also sees the chances of “taking over” the raw materials that there is no in Europe. Rosall emphasized that the continent does not have great natural resources, e.g. metals needed by a modern economy, but large “resources” of qualifications and innovation. So, for example, when more and more batteries come to our market, recycling and recovery of lithium, cobalt and other raw materials will allow us to reach for these resources.
– Europe imports over 90 percent critical raw materials needed for our economies. The closed circuit economy is the only solution to limit our dependence on a small number of countries that are the source of these materials – said the Commissioner. The problem remains that “new” plastic or metals are still cheaper than those of recycling. – Currently only 12 percent The materials we use come from recycled. It shows how much a challenge faces us added Rosall.
Close to 55 percent
Climate policy was in the center of the EU's interest in recent years, and now it gave way to other priorities. But although some of the applicable regulations (regarding combustion cars or emissions) can wait for the search, in Brussels there is no question of abandoning climate goals.
On the contrary – at the end of May the European Commission reported that we were on the right track to fulfill the loud destruction of the issue by 55 percent. until 2030. The summary of the climate plans of individual countries shows that after meeting them we will reduce emissions by 54 percent, i.e. just below the purpose.
This does not mean that absolutely everything goes according to plan. For now, not all countries have updated their climate plans (Poland is also late). The total level of emission drops, but it does not go just as quickly in all sectors of the economy. The most difficult so far is the reduction of emissions gases greenhouse in transport and agriculture.
Nothing has changed in the fact that the whole Union is required to reach climate neutrality by 2050. In the coming weeks, the European Commission will propose the adoption of an indirect goal – for 2040. At the beginning of June, the scientific advisory body for climate again called so that it was 90-95 percent. reducing emissions and warned the Union against attempts to blur this goal.
According to reports from recent months, the European Commission delayed the exit with the proposal precisely because some of the countries and political forces want to reduce the ambitions in this field. We have to know the details of the proposal in July. The atmosphere around an ambitious climate policy is no longer like creating a green order, but even though this EC will probably propose to set a 90 % goal. for 2040 (although the details of this proposal will be crucial).
Reconstruction of nature on the way
Green order in recent years has become the target of farmers' protests, also in Poland. Although, according to experts, many real farmers' problems are not due to the EU climate policy (which is just beginning to come into force), Brussels decided to give way to several matters (e.g. bites).
On the other hand, the countries are in force last year to rebuild natural resources.
As Jessika Rosall, the EU Commissioner for the Environment with Journalists, said, “good, important recipes”, whose implementation is important not only for nature, but also from the point of view of our international obligations.
Now EU countries, including Poland, are working on creating their plans to rebuild nature, which requires new EU law. Rosall admitted that one of the biggest challenges is financing the protection and reconstruction of the environment. – We are working on increasing investments in this field. This is good not only for nature, but also for our safety – she emphasized. One of the financing mechanisms are to be so -called loans environmental, which would encourage companies to direct funds for nature protection.
Green, but without enthusiasm
The green order was announced in an atmosphere of enthusiasm, on the wave of climate strikes and to the satisfaction (or relief) of voters who wanted to act to stop climate change and environmental degradation.
Over 5 years later, this enthusiasm may be less, but the challenge that climate policy is to respond to. On the contrary – global warming progresses faster than ever before. And although the European Union corrects the course – in response and the dissatisfaction of some of the society, and to new challenges – it does not abandon the foundations of climate policy.