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Green Deal designed for 'prosperity', EU
commission chief says amid backlash
European
Commission president Ursula von der Leyen made the case today that Europe’s
Green Deal goes hand in hand with prosperous industry.
Speaking at
a conference in Prague at a time when Europe is grappling with a backlash
against climate policies, the commission chief said that “the European Green
Deal was born out of the necessity to protect people and the planet, but it was
also designed as an opportunity to build our future prosperity”.
Von der
Leyen, a German centre-right politician who is expected to seek a second term
as commission president, underlined that “we have successfully reduced
greenhouse gas emissions while growing our economy”.
She told
the Czech crowd that their local industry benefits from the energy transition
and climate-friendly policies, pointing out that some buses in Prague are
starting to be powered by hydrogen – and that this new generation of buses are
produced by Czech manufacturer Škoda.
There is
“an immense potential” for Czech industry, she said, while also highlighting
that the green deal provides “predictability” for companies.
Continuing
on the theme that green investment is good for business, Von der Leyen also
said that “renewable energy is not only good for our planet, but it is
homegrown, it creates good jobs here and it is good for our energy independence
and security”.
And she
directly addressed the Czech coal industry.
“I know
that many local communities are concerned about their future, because thousands
of people work in lignite mines and in the coal sector,” the commission
president said, and this is why we should “make it our utmost priority under
the European Green Deal to invest in those regions, to ease the
transformation”.
Europe is
launching a new series of dialogues with industry to address the Green Deal and
global challenges, she added.
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