BRUSSELS, July 18, 2024 — Despite divisions among European Union (EU) Member States, Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected as President of the European Commission after securing enough votes from the European Parliament.
In reaction to von der Leyen’s appointment and in light of the EU’s Strategic Agenda and Political Guidelines 2024-29, Lili Fuhr, Director of the Fossil Economy Program at CIEL, released the following statement:
“EU leaders must put people and planet over profit. Yet, the proposed ‘Clean Industrial Deal’ shows that the EU is succumbing to industry pressure, and prioritizing corporate profits over public interests. Europe’s future is bleak if the European Commission allows the multiple planetary crises to further spiral out of control. There can be no prosperity on a dead planet.
“Von der Leyen’s plan shows a shockingly low level of climate urgency compared to five years ago when the European Green Deal was launched. While the EU elections have changed the European political landscape, the threats to our planet only escalated — citizens in Europe and elsewhere are experiencing accelerating extreme weather events, extinction of species and ecosystems, and rising cases of diseases linked to toxic pollution. Rather than seeing Europe backtrack on existing commitments and policies, we need an even stronger ambition to ensure a just transition to a fossil-free and toxic-free Europe.
“EU leaders have a historic responsibility to overhaul how they source resources. For far too long, Europe has thrived on the exploitation of communities in the Global South and elsewhere, extracting materials in ways that devastate local populations and ecosystems. We call on von der Leyen and the new College of Commissioners to embrace decolonial, just, human rights-based, and effective solutions to address the planetary crises. This starts with a full, fair, fast, and funded phase-out of fossil fuels. Europe needs to break free from fossil fuels, period. Replacing imports from Russia won’t be enough. EU leaders also have to reject dangerous distractions like carbon capture and geoengineering and take effective measures to enforce strong regulations against harmful chemicals, phase down petrochemicals, ensure just and healthy food systems, and show true leadership for effective plastics production reduction provisions in the ongoing negotiations for a global plastics treaty.
“It would be grossly irresponsible to allow the fossil fuel, petrochemical, and chemical industries — the very industries that have caused the multiple planetary crises we are facing — to influence EU politics and further profit from their fossil pollution.
“Solutions to effectively tackle the crises already exist. What is missing is the political will to support the real solutions and provide the necessary funds. Human and ecosystem health, human rights, as well as social, climate, and environmental justice cannot be an afterthought. They should guide Europe’s future both at home and in the world.”
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Media contact:
Rossella Recupero, Communications Campaign Specialist, press@ciel.org