Czech Business Today
Can the EU clean the planet on its own?
On 28th November the European Commission adopted the Strategy “A clean Planet for all”. For businesses it is a good starting point for the debate on future action in this field. However, the target of the EU being climate neutral by 2050 is rather idealistic.
It is most important to decide how we will change our behaviour and how we will increase investment in R&D and innovations in this field. The EU has the most ambitious targets worldwide and we need to reach a well-balanced scenario which will support investment in low-carbon emissions technologies and products and at the same time not hamper the EU’s competitiveness. In order to reach a well-balanced solution we have to push for coordinated action across the whole planet. Without involving our international partners in this vision we risk losing competitiveness.
Therefore, it will be crucial to engage in a dialogue with other major economies of the world during the COP24 meeting in Katowice, where important talks on how to halt the increase of global temperatures as well as on how to speed up collective efforts to reduce emissions will take place. As for the Czech Republic, the main challenge will be to change its heating plants sector which will require huge financial resources and investment in R&D&I. This means we will have to create a motivation mechanism which will allow this transition.
