By Joe Inwood
Today, the European Parliament gave its green light to the new College of European Commissioners led by President Ursula von der Leyen. This majority is smaller than the one that re-elected von der Leyen as President in July, but it brings an end to the political stalemate of recent weeks and enables the new Commission to finally begin working on 1st December.
The incoming Commissioners face huge challenges, among them the worsening triple planetary crisis of pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change. The cost of energy and rent have forced many into poverty, while the profound costs of climate change-fuelled disasters mount up in Europe and beyond. All this while the EU remains stubbornly addicted to fossil fuels.
When the new set of Commissioners was announced in September, CAN Europe reacted that the composition of the College indicated a desire for continuity of the European Green Deal and further climate action – and that there is no space for regression. In voting to approve this Commission, MEPs have today given a mandate on this basis. But as the challenges demonstrate, much work remains to be done.
High on the agenda will be the transformation of European industry to ensure sustainable prosperity and competitiveness and ideally to contribute to a just transition. The new Commission has the opportunity to put people at the core of this agenda, with inclusive processes that include civil society. Only with the right social and environmental conditionalities can a new deal succeed, and this means a deal that harnesses the many co-benefits that ambitious climate action brings for people and the planet.
For funding these huge needs, there is no shortage of good ideas that would make social justice the driving force. A permanent tax on the fossil fuel industry would bring the polluter pays principle to life. In the next EU budget, both the quantity and the quality of funds will need to be high, if the EU is serious about a just energy transition.
In the months ahead, the Commission cannot lose sight of its responsibility to align the EU’s climate ambition with the Paris Agreement. Leading an institution that values science and equity, Commissioners must get real about the need for a 2040 net zero target. After the dismal outcome of COP29, the patience of the most vulnerable worldwide cannot be tested further – and the need for increased EU leadership and higher climate ambition on the international stage has never been greater.
While siren voices may call for untested solutions, there are proven renewable energy technologies waiting to be deployed at scale. Harnessing the social and economic benefits of this for people will be the responsibility of all our political leaders – and if EU Member States drag their feet, the Commission should hold them accountable using any and all methods available, especially in ensuring National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) are ambitious enough to meet Paris Agreement commitments. As the UN Secretary-General warns us: delay means death.
The previous five year mandate saw unprecedented crises in Europe – the COVID-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine – on top of the ongoing climate crisis. The interconnectedness of these crises and the tense geopolitical reality gives us every reason to believe that our leaders will be tested again. History will positively remember those who decide to step up to meet this moment.
