Proposal to spend 25% of EU budget on climate change

Found on BBC News on Wednesday, 08 May 2019
Browse Nature

It was signed by France, Belgium, Denmark, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

But not everyone is on board - there are 28 countries in the EU, and several of those absent from the joint position statement are significant players - including Germany.

The position of the eight countries is that climate change has "profound implications for the future of humanity" and that its impacts are already apparent - citing "the heat waves and scorching fires of last summer".

But several countries oppose strengthening current commitments, which have proven difficult to stick to just two years after the Paris climate agreement was signed.

Political and economic giant Germany is among them, fearing that further action could damage its industry.

It was not too long ago when "Climate Chancellor" Angela Merkel did not get tired to underline how important it is to stop the climate change; but when all that hot-air speeches require real action, there suddenly is no interest anymore. Even worse, the position completely changed. Now you have politicians like Altmaier who say that climate protection will only work as long as prosperity is not affected. People like him have no clue what the world is facing right now.