Europe must not be left alone in meeting its climate goals. Either it gains allies and other countries join its approach, or it has to think about whether its current policy is correct. Before leaving for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said this on Monday, reports the TASR reporter in Prague.
“We have to deal with the consequences of climate change, but at the same time we have to keep in mind economic growth, the competitiveness of Europe, the standard of living of citizens. Europe must not be left alone in meeting the climate goals, whether it is what it sets or what it finances,” said Fiala. He pointed out that the EU contributes financially to the world’s climate policy in other ways as well, and it is up to others to join in. .
“We should look at how we manage to fulfill the goals that were set in the past, and we should not set new ones when we see that we are not able to fulfill even the ones we agreed on,” he emphasized. Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.
When asked what the consequence would be if the United States, under the leadership of Donald Trump, withdrew from the Paris Agreement on climate change, he answered that the practical consequence would not be so much significant as it would be symbolic. He pointed out that based on previous experience, all states of the United States would not stop meeting the climate goals.
“It happened once, the United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement, then joined, now they may withdraw again. It is, of course, a matter for the United States. But it is necessary for Europe to think about the fact that it will either gain allies for its idea of how to fight the climate and other countries will join, or we ourselves must think about whether the current policy is correct, because Europe cannot pay for it all. ” added the Czech Prime Minister.
On Monday, the UN Conference on Climate Change began in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku. The summit will be attended by more than 100 world leaders at the level of heads of state and prime ministers. The negotiations will mainly focus on reducing emissions, adaptation to climate change and climate financing.
