While it describes the climate crisis as an existential threat and calls for an “in-depth transformation of [the EU’s] own economy and society to achieve climate neutrality”, some campaigners say it lacks ambition. The document states that EU policies should be consistent with the Paris agreement, but spells out little detail about what that means. “European leaders are feeling the pressure to talk big on climate, but their strategic agenda is more of a collection of buzzwords than an emergency response to humanity’s greatest threat,” Greenpeace’s EU director, Jorgo Riss, said. Elsewhere, the document sets goals that reflect longstanding British priorities within the EU, such as developing the single market in services. To achieve these goals, it calls on EU member states to be more united in foreign policy and spend more on defence.

Source: The Guardian June 10, 2019 17:57 UTC