EPP congress adopts climate policies

ZAGREB - The European People's Party's (EPP) congress adopted here on Thursday a resolution in which they reject climate skepticism, "green socialism" and "Utopian environmentalist policies".

The party believes that green innovation is conducive to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Croatian news agency HINA reported.

"Investments in research and development of all available low-carbon and carbon-free technologies to reduce greenhouse gases are necessary to achieve zero net emissions," the resolution said.

The party emphasized that it wants to support the social market economy and create a real stimulus for citizens and companies to reduce their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The EPP is against subsidies for fossil fuels, which they would like to redirect into technologies that deal with the collection, storage and reuse of CO2.

Investing in green innovation, they say, will improve the European Union's (EU) international competitiveness, while high environmental standards will never be compromised in trade with other countries.

They also demand that all future trade agreements between the EU and other countries must have a clause that would oblige parties to respect the Paris Agreement.

On the second and last day of the EPP congress, EPP member and newly elected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also outlined her vision for a sustainable planet and set the goal of reducing emissions by at least 50 percent by 2030.