• The European Commission presented a European climate plan on Wednesday that it considers historic. 

  • The twelve bills are not, however, unanimous. 

  • Between enormous ambition and reservations, the climate plan divides.

On Wednesday, the European Commission boasted of presenting a historic climate plan, with twelve legislative proposals aimed at carbon neutrality for the 27 by 2050. First step to achieve this goal: reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the Union of 55% by 2030 compared to 1990. To date, the EU has reduced them by only 24% compared to 1990.

"Europe is the very first continent to present a complete green architecture: we have the objective, and now the roadmap to reach it", welcomed Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Commission on Wednesday.

Upwind builders

But these legislative proposals have been widely criticized as soon as they were released by European car manufacturers and airlines, the first to be affected by the European Commission's climate objectives. Brussels wants to reduce the CO2 emissions of new cars to zero by 2035 (France wanted 2040, the NGOs were rather aiming for 2030), which amounts to banning thermal and hybrid engines. “A solution that is not rational at this stage. We ask the EU institutions to focus on innovation rather than making mandatory or de facto banning a specific technology, ”argues the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA).

The same goes for the International Air Transport Association (IATA), where the European Commission's proposal to gradually tax kerosene for flights within the European Union is “counterproductive.

Aviation is committed to “decarbonization” and does not need punitive measures such as taxes ”, defends the association.

An important agreement in the eyes of NGOs

As for environmental NGOs, the results are more positive. Neil Makaroff, Europe manager of the Climate Action Network, even agrees with Ursula von der Leyen on the historical side of this climate plan: “It is one of the largest climate plans ever drawn up, and also one of the largest: it covers all sectors, even those used to being spared clandestinely, such as maritime or air transport. It opens multiple sites. "Certain ambitions are also satisfactory from his point of view, he tells

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, citing as an example the desire to be at 40% renewable energy by 2030, when the 27 have only 20% energy. green in 2021.

A satisfaction shared by Pierre Cannet, Director of Advocacy and Campaigns at WWF France: “It is a world first to bring together so many elements and cover so many projects in a climate plan.

It is also a pledge of seriousness and reassuring preparation when preparing for the 2026 Climate Conference. ”An all the more resounding feat, underlines the expert, if we consider the enormous disparities within the 27: coal still heavily present in Poland, essential exports to Germany, etc.

A proposal that could jeopardize everything?

But the twelve proposals are not unanimous. Pierre Cannet thus deplores that the text does not go far enough in certain areas, such as carbon sinks, the challenges of energy subsidies, or even the stopping of thermal vehicles, hoped for by NGOs from 2030.

Worse, conservationists fear that the proposal to tax heating and fuel in homes will concentrate discontent. “There is a significant risk that it will go very badly. We saw it clearly with the crisis of "yellow vests" initially started because of the carbon tax, "notes Pierre Cannet. This measure would affect the most precarious households, the least able to change their energy sources to turn to clean energies: "It is not up to them to foot the bill," insists the advocacy director.

Same analysis for Neil Makaroff: “All the proposals are not always as ambitious as desired, but it is the only one that can really be counterproductive.

This is a socially dangerous solution and therefore dangerous from an ecological point of view, because it can, on its own, derail the

European

green deal

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»Answer in less than ten years.

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