The European Commission has unveiled a new strategy that shall boost the EU’s ability to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change. The plan was announced a day after the European Environment Agency warned that EU member states are not doing enough to tackle the risks. The stakes are high, especially for southern Europe.
With the bloc reeling from a farmers’ revolt against green reforms, and four months before the EU elections, the EU unveiled this week its climate targets for 2040 and a roadmap for the next stage of its energy transition.
”European leaders will not tolerate over time an imbalance in the trade relationship,” said European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen in an interview with the European Newsroom on Tuesday, ahead of the EU-China summit on December 7. Besides trade, the EU officials plan to also address China-Russia relations, sanctioned MEPs and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
As world leaders prepare for the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), Secretary-General António Guterres urged them to step up efforts to mitigate the negative effects of global warming. In this context, the EU is committed to ensuring that world leaders agree to phase out fossil fuels and rapidly increase the production of renewable energy.
Green movements are on the rise in the Western Balkans and the broader area. Do they have a chance of success and will they be able to play a role in the region’s environmental future?