Do you remember the EU? That place some are so desperate to leave? Whilst we are having an election no one really wants the EU parliament is doing its business. And as Euronews has reported:
A majority of European Union lawmakers hoped to declare a “climate emergency” on Monday, a week before a United Nations climate conference in Madrid.
Members of the European Parliament said the declaration would increase pressure on the incoming EU executive, expected to start work on Dec. 1, to take a stronger leading role in the global fight against climate change.
“The EU must act together and lead by example in international climate negotiations through concrete actions and measures,” the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D), the second largest group of lawmakers in the parliament, said in a statement.
They plan to pass the symbolic declaration during a debate on the United Nations' COP25 climate summit, which opens on Dec. 2 in Madrid.
And yes, this matters.
The Green New Deal has to be national, of course. But it has to be international as well. And in this regard the EU is key. The new Commission is already saying it is dedicated to the cause of environmental transformation. But the Parliament has to hold them to account on this, and is saying it will.
I sincerely hope this happens. Some of us still believe in a European ideal.
More importantly, some of us know we need a Green New Deal, even if the Tories are in denial on it in the UK.
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Presumably there is nothing to stop people in the UK lobbying their MEPs to vote for this, if a vote is involved? We may as well make use of still being EU members while we can.
Go ahead…
Only the single Labour MEP in my area has responded so far, he said:
“I can confirm that all of the European Parliament Labour Party will be voting to support the declaration of a climate emergency”
Yes it is vital that the EU pursues an emergency policy to tackle climate change. Lets hope the EU parliament and commission deal with this with all the authority and expertise at their disposal in co-operation with all other nations especially China, US and India. Doubtless the Tories, Brexit Party and the other right wingers such as Le Pen, Orban and co will do all they can to thwart any efforts to implement change. Hopefully a combination of Socialist, Green, Liberal and other more enlightened EU groups can counter them.