European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s recent appointment of climate and energy commissioners has garnered positive reactions from climate activists and the renewable energy lobby. The trio – Wopke Hoekstra, Dan Jørgensen, and Teresa Ribera – have been seen as a signal of continuity with the Green Deal that marked von der Leyen’s first term.
The appointment of Hoekstra as EU climate commissioner, Jørgensen as energy commissioner, and Ribera as an executive vice-president overseeing a “clean, just and competitive transition” has been praised as a strong team that could carry on the legacy of the Green Deal into a Clean Industrial Deal for the second mandate. The commissioners are expected to navigate geopolitical tensions, reduce LNG imports from the US, and push for renewable energies and green industries.
However, some concerns remain about the new commission’s commitment to climate action, with organizations like Greenpeace EU warning against lowering environmental standards to prioritize competitiveness. Despite this, the combination of portfolios and priorities set by von der Leyen has been met with cautious optimism from various stakeholders in the climate and energy sectors, who see potential for significant progress in the fight against climate change. The next test for the commission will come in early 2021, when Hoekstra will have to propose a 2040 emissions reduction target, a move that could further solidify the EU’s commitment to a sustainable future.
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