Berlin (dpa) – The head of the Federation of German Industries (BDI) has cautioned against stricter standards on greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union ahead of the publication of the bloc’s “Green Deal” on Wednesday.
“Constantly raising the target level is poison for long-term investment,” BDI President Dieter Kempf told dpa.
The limits of technical, economic and social feasibility were increasingly being tested, Kempf said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is to present her plans for a so-called “climate-neutral” Europe by 2050. Her aim is for zero greenhouse gas emissions by then.
The interim target for 2030 is for emissions to be cut by at least 50 per cent of the 1990 baseline. This target – which Kempf is querying – has been raised from 40 per cent previously.
The BDI president said the European Commission’s approach was one-sided.
“Europe’s ability to face the future does not depend solely on the Green Deal. International competitiveness must be an equally important target, as a competitive and innovative industrial sector needs to generate the billions needed in investment in protecting the environment,” Kempf said.
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