Is the EU ready for the next big climate battle?

(EurActiv, 13 Feb 2023) The EU needs more accurate modelling tools for its climate policies, as the current information is often not up-to-date and does not reflect the rapid development in green technologies, argue Jens Mattias Clausen and Martin Birk Rasmussen.

Jens Mattias Clausen is EU Program Director and Martin Birk Rasmussen is International Climate Analyst at CONCITO, Denmark’s green think tank.

The discussion on the EU’s next climate target is about to erupt and the EU’s modelling is in need of an urgent review.

Modelling is the informational bedrock of the EU’s climate and energy policies and needs to be based on up-to-date and transparent technology assumptions, lest we risk overestimating the costs and underestimating the potential of the green transition.

The negotiations of the enormous Fit for 55 package that aims to translate the EU’s 2030 climate target from ambition to practice have entered the endgame, with only a few key policies like the renewable energy and energy efficiency directives still left to be decided.

At the same time, the horrific war in Ukraine has put constant pressure on EU institutions to deliver solutions to the energy crisis.

Nevertheless, talks in the corridors of power are already buzzing around the next big climate battle – the post-2030 climate targets and policies.

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EurActiv, 13 Feb 2023: Is the EU ready for the next big climate battle?