Nowhere else in the world has such comprehensive climate legislation been put in place, said Peter Liese, environmental spokesman for the Christian Democratic Group in the European Parliament. But the EU does not advertise its achievement. The entire climate package goes by the unfortunate name "Fit for 55" (which stands for the EU to reduce its emissions by 55 percent by 2030).
The new climate tariffs are hidden under bureaucratic descriptions such as "carbon border adjustment mechanism". The slow and stubborn negotiations between 27 member states have given the EU a global first place with a climate policy where the goals are in line with what the IPCC's climate scientists strongly recommend.
Now European companies, forced into a rapid green transition, will be protected against unfair competition by companies and goods in countries with weaker climate legislation. Climate tariffs cover imports of cement, steel, electronics, fertiliser and aluminium.
The hope is that this in turn will put pressure on other countries and speed up the green transition outside Europe as well. All Swedish parties voted yes except the SD, which does not want to give the Union the right to levy taxes.
More expensive to travel
It will also be more expensive to fly and drive a boat, for example, as both aviation and shipping will now be included in emissions trading.
Free allowances distributed to industries will start to be phased out in 2026. This raises the ambition of how quickly emissions should be reduced.
A central issue with the stricter climate laws has been how to protect consumers. The increased emissions trading will make not only aviation but also fossil heating of homes more expensive. A new Social Climate Fund will protect people from energy poverty. It is a new bag of money that will cushion the blow for consumers and small businesses affected by increased climate taxes on carbon dioxide.
But not individuals, only governments, can apply for money. They must not just disappear into the country's budget, but must be earmarked and used to subsidise, for example, renewable energy solutions such as solar panels or heat pumps.
Proof that the EU is on the right track
As it happens, on Tuesday there were also new emission figures for the EU, from the EEA, the European Environmental Agency. Although emissions increased between 2020-2021 after the pandemic, the long-term trend is that the EU's total emissions continue to decline, and are lower than before the pandemic. So far, greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 30% since 1990, despite the fact that the EU's overall economy has grown by 61% over the same period.
It was a clear confirmation that the EU is on the right track, despite internal battles over carbon sinks, forests and the role of agriculture.
It is also a sign that climate policy at European level has gone from being seen as a special interest to now being embraced by almost all political parties from right to left.