A push by most European Union nations for the world’s biggest economic bloc to go carbon-neutral by 2050 was dropped to a footnote at a summit on Thursday after fierce resistance from Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.
France and Germany had led efforts for the 28-member EU to lead by example in setting an ambitious new climate goal ahead of U.N. climate talks in September that U.S. President Donald Trump has abandoned.
But unanimity was needed, and last-ditch persuasion efforts in what diplomats described as “impassioned” talks that dragged on for four hours failed to ease fears among the central and eastern European states, including Estonia, that it would hurt economies like theirs dependent on nuclear power and coal.
EU leaders called on the European Investment Bank (EIB) to increase climate funding and acknowledged vast differences in the continent’s energy mix, but Poland remained unmoved.
“We need concrete things on the table,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said. “What additional money could be allotted to Poland so that we do not end up in an offside trap?”
In an unusual move that nevertheless sends a strong signal to businesses, 24 of the EU leaders chose instead to reflect support for the mid-century goal as a footnote in their final statement:
“For a large majority of member states, climate neutrality must be achieved by 2050.”
Read rest at Reuters
…”‘impassioned’ talks [lies] that dragged on for four hours failed to ease fears among the central and eastern European states, including Estonia, that it would hurt economies like theirs dependent on nuclear power and coal.”
The central European countries didn’t believe the lies. They must have seen how leaders like Obama conducted a war on coal and nuclear. Those leaders showed more backbone and common sense than the rest of the Western leaders combined.
Forget climate change. Poles are smarter, wiser than Germans. THAT’S CHANGE!
We can only hope that climate alarm pushing politicians will soon share the same fate; relegated to a footnote.
Many of these countries have lived under the regimes of bullies and propaganda machines . They are not timid little mice anymore .
The globalist dream of a world government are falling apart fast and they cant handle it .
The little foot note is the same kind of crap being thrown at pro Br-exit voters by politicians who have their own agenda . They are all for democratic voting as long as they get their way .