Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

EU promises to cut 80% to 90% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050

- (The writer is director, Chintan Environmen­tal Research and Action Group)

THE EUROPEAN UNION PLANS TO CUT THE EMISSIONS BY SHIFTING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY, REGULATION AND FINANCIAL HELP

Brexit, but immigratio­n, terrorism and Trumpism are Greece’s Euro-zone crisis are all weakening it, apart from newly elected right-wing government­s in many countries. This is not good for the planet, for the very idea of the EU was to work for the greater common good.

In many ways, it is the best internatio­nal model we have today for respecting the commons-cleaning up the air, regulating safe transbound­ary food and the prevention of toxics in the environmen­t and our bodies. As a chemical user, today, you cannot do in the EU what you may have been able to get away with in any individual member country some decades ago.

As Indians, we are vulnerable to the global impacts of climate change. From our perspectiv­e, the EU’s commitment to climate change must be strengthen­ed, even increased, but not allowed to drop away. We are also in need of a strong EU that can help us transition, financiall­y and with technologi­es, to a greener economy. Infact, not just India, but the planet requires the EU to stay strong and intact.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India