Replacing combustion engines with electric cars and switching industrial heat from fossil fuels to electricity are among the most impactful ways to decarbonise. Yet, in exactly in these areas Europe is weakening its policies.

much of the busy agenda was taken up by proposed climate rollbacks, including the replacement of the 2035 combustion-engine phase-out with weaker CO2 standards for new cars and weakening its carbon-pricing system for industries and power production.

Europe’s own electrification path has been slow compared to some other large economies, rising only about five percent since 1990. During this time, China went from six percent to almost 30 percent

  • plyth ( plyth@feddit.org ) English
    29·
    4 months ago

    climate policy rollbacks during historic heatwave

    How much more do we want to be taken for fools? How do we get responsible politicians?

    • Ooops ( Ooops@feddit.org ) English
      3·
      4 months ago

      How do we get responsible politicians?

      Easy: Pay them as much as the industry they are actually working for. Oh, you don’t have enough money for that? Well, it’s your problem (and entirely your fault) that you are too poor to matter.

      On a more serious note: People seem to believe that voting more and more for screaching morons promising burn the planet faster while at the same time rolling back every positive development of decades is the way to go. So the actual answer is you won’t. Because in a democracy the majority is calling the shots and sadly that majority is criminally stupid.

      • plyth ( plyth@feddit.org ) English
        1·
        4 months ago

        in a democracy the majority is calling the shots and sadly that majority is criminally stupid

        What can be done about the stupidity?

        • DdCno1 ( DdCno1@beehaw.org ) English
          2·
          4 months ago

          Better education, more measures against fake news and propaganda. Some nations (like, as per usual, the Nordics) are working hard on this, including even with providing courses for adults on how to spot fake news (as well as incorporating it into the general curriculum), but most are complacent at best, far too slow at adapting to rapidly changing times.

        • Ooops ( Ooops@feddit.org ) English
          2·
          4 months ago

          Now? Not much.

          The actual main measures so voters don’t fall for stupid bullshit against their interests (education and proper journalism) already failed. In big parts because the propagandists prepared well by buying out a lot of media and defunding education.

  • Hirom ( Hirom@beehaw.org ) English
    2·
    4 months ago

    revisions may be necessary “to keep the family together.”

    What’s more important:

    Pleasing some members governments that defend fossil fuel industry interests, or avoiding severe harm threatening all EU citizens?

    Grow a pair (of gonads)!

    If a majority agreement possible, there need to be a majority behind more ambitious goals. Ohers could be ignored as long as they can’t veto.