What if we (finally) thought about panet, once the crisis was over? This is the wish that ten European environment ministers make by calling Friday that the post-epidemic coronavirus recovery plans take into account environmental and climate issues. The text is signed by the Austrian, Danish, Italian, Finnish, Latvian, Luxembourgish, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish ministers.
Now is the time to fight the epidemic, but "we should prepare to rebuild our economies by introducing recovery plans intended to give Europe and its citizens renewed and sustainable progress and prosperity", they write in a text published by the site climatechangenews.com.
"Send a strong political message to the world"
"We must resist the temptation of short-term solutions in response to the current crisis that risk locking the EU into a fossil fuel economy for decades," they warn. “The lesson from the Covid-19 is that it is essential to act quickly. We must therefore keep our ambitions to reduce the risks and costs of inaction in the areas of climate change and biodiversity loss, ”they continue.
They call for a "common European response" within the framework of the European "Green deal" announced by the EU Commission, and in particular to "increase investment, particularly in the areas of sustainable mobility, renewable energy, renovation of buildings, research and innovation, restoration of biodiversity and the circular economy ”.
"We must send a strong political message to the world and to our citizens that the EU will set an example even in these difficult times and will pave the way towards carbon neutrality and respect for the Paris Agreement," conclude the ministers.
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