Would-be EU climate policy chief pledges ambitious emissions cuts

The nominee for the next EU head of climate change policy, former Dutch foreign minister Wopke Hoekstra, said on Monday he would try to ensure the bloc commits to slash its net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90% by 2040 if he gets the role.

The nominee for the next EU head of climate change policy, former Dutch foreign minister Wopke Hoekstra, said on Monday he would try to ensure the bloc commits to slash its net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90% by 2040 if he gets the role. Hoekstra was speaking during a hearing of the European Parliament's environment committee, where he is seeking to win approval from at least two-thirds of members to take on the role of leading emissions-cutting measures in the bloc.

He said that if approved, he would present an analysis in early 2024 of what the EU should set as its first legally binding target to cut emissions by 2040. "I will use all instruments available to aim to enable the EU to reach the minimum recommended target of 90% net reductions," Hoekstra said.

The EU's official advisers have said it should commit to slash its greenhouse gas emissions by 90-95% by 2040 - a goal some industries have said is unrealistic. Climate action is facing political pushback in Europe as tensions mount with China and the U.S. over the race to manufacture green tech, and as countries adapt to record-breaking floods, drought and deadly heat as a result of human-caused global warming.

Acknowledging "tremendous concerns" among some citizens over the green transition, Hoekstra said he would stick to Europe's climate goals while helping industries access green EU funds faster. He pledged tougher action to phase out the 52 billion euros ($54.6 billion) that EU countries spend subsidising fossil fuels each year - including by culling such subsidies from the EU's next budget.

Some EU lawmakers signalled he had not yet won them over. Dutch lawmaker Mohammed Chahim said Hoekstra had provided "no concrete answers" to questions on issues including fiercely-debated EU proposals to restore nature. Others suggested he had gone too far - reflecting the tightrope Hoekstra must walk between lawmakers calling for a more "realistic" approach to climate policies and those seeking more urgent action as extreme weather escalates.

"Strong commitment for ambitious 2040 climate targets. Some may even say too ambitious," German lawmaker Peter Liese said. Negative assessments by the Parliament have in the past prompted some commissioner candidates to withdraw. Rejecting Hoekstra could leave the EU with no climate policy chief at the UN's COP28 climate summit in November.

Hoekstra pledged to push at COP28 for a global phase-out of CO2-emitting fossil fuels, and said he would seek new sources of climate funding for vulnerable countries - potentially by skimming off revenues from the EU's carbon market. ($1 = 0.9465 euro)

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