The EU has struggled to encourage its member nations to part out fossil gasoline subsidies. EU nations spent round 52 billion euros on such subsidies in 2021 – an annual whole that has not decreased since 2015, EU Setting Company information present.
Hoekstra should reply the lawmakers’ questions in writing, earlier than his Oct. 2 listening to.
The EU lawmakers additionally requested if he’ll “swiftly current an bold proposal for a binding and science-based goal for 2040”.
The brand new local weather commissioner will suggest the EU’s first emissions-cutting goal for 2040. That may contain balancing competing calls – together with from scientific advisers recommending an emissions reduce of as much as 95 per cent, and business lobbies warning that’s unrealistic.
Some EU lawmakers have warned Hoekstra will face a troublesome listening to, to show his readiness to guide local weather policymaking – a subject that was not the main target of his earlier roles as overseas minister and finance minister.
Nonetheless, EU officers say the Parliament is unlikely to reject him. Doing that will seemingly imply the EU doesn’t have a brand new local weather commissioner in place for the UN COP28 local weather summit in November.