Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. No advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing.It was a dream team of activists and scholars who conducted a whirlwind advocacy tour of Europe at the end of May. They visited Germany, Belgium, and the U.K.
The delegation also aimed to publicize the manifesto and elevate its demands within Europe. It explained the Global South critiques of the hegemonic green transition, while also supporting the advocacy of European networks in raising the Global South demands. In this way, the delegation aspired to help reshape the narrative of climate justice in Europe to reflect the perspectives and concrete needs of the Global South.
Many environmental activists are focused on reductions in fossil fuel use as part of an emphasis on reducing overall carbon emissions. So, for instance, we had a conversation with the German special envoy on climate that centered on cutting off the German financing of fossil fuel infrastructure abroad.
Two paths lead out of this dying neoliberalism. The first is a renewed emphasis on industrial policy—more conscious state intervention into the economy—but this time with a Green hue. Europe is investing heavily into its, the United States is implementing the closest thing to a Green industrial policy with the Inflation Reduction Act funding, and other countries too are feeling the pressure to come up with their own matching Green industrialism.
On the more transformative side, there is talk of the circular economy, of using less concrete, fertilizer, and so on. “But it’s harder to push this,” said another interviewee. “It’s not as sexy.”In some countries, climate policies are not high on the national agenda or there are few opportunities for civil society to have a say in government.
Energy and environment are currently the focus of European policy, under the combined guidance of President Ursula von der Leyen and Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans . But that could shift after the next elections, scheduled for June 2024. Public opinion polls currentlythat the center-right European People’s Party, the Social Democrats, the liberal Renew Party, and the Greens will all lose seats.
But there is pressure on MEPs to get behind FTAs like the one with Mercosur. “If we don’t say yes to FTAs, we won’t have partnerships—and China will take it up,” one MEP told us.