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WORLD> Europe
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Economic crisis threatens EU measures on climate change
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-22 09:20 BRUXELLES -- The recent economic downturn could push the European Union to adopt more modest ambitions in its fight against climate change.
The cost to industry is estimated at some 44 billion euros per year between 2013 and 2020, with a tonne (1.1 US tons) of C02 costing 30 euros. Business leaders have denounced the policy as a "tax", threatening to take their investments elsewhere and move their more polluting activities out of Europe. Faced with the threat of job losses, governments are feeling the pressure. "As the economic situation becomes more challenging, it's normal that government becomes more defensive on climate change as the required efforts will lead to additional costs in the short term," a senior Commission official told AFP on the condition of anonymity. A number of European politicians are now speaking openly about diluting, or even abandoning the project. "This plan is garbage. It's politically correct, but it won't happen," former Italian prime minister Giuliano Amato said at the end of August. Renato Brunetta, Italy's minister for innovation, has been equally blunt. "If it happens, it would kill the economic upturn. No one needs to kill themselves," said Brunetta, a trained economist. |
