Cool politics: A centre–right strategy on climate

Climate change presents one of the largest challenges that humanity has ever had to deal with. The consequences of decades of global disregard for the environment will be felt most acutely by our children and grandchildren. As a retired politician I sometimes think about the importance of the legacy one leaves behind. Nobody chooses their legacy; rather, it is given to them by society. My legacy stands as a symbol of both my achievements and failures as a leader. Our reaction to the impending and catastrophic dangers of climate change today will determine our legacy of tomorrow. Ultimately, the longer we wait before doing what is necessary, the more severe our efforts will have to be in the future.

Climate change is a policy field that requires our permanent and unrelenting attention. The attention that climate change receives on the international level is insufficient and too fleeting. We need to advance beyond only talking about the importance of the environment when there are big international summits and environmental disasters. Politicians need to maintain their integrity and be honest with their constituents by not treating climate change as a momentary theme. If young people felt that they were being properly listened to, we would not be seeing the worldwide climate protests that we have been witnessing recently.

It is important that we involve the people as much as we can in this challenge by making sure that all decisions are made at the appropriate levels, proportional to the number of people these decisions will impact. However, climate change cannot be fought exclusively from the international, European, national, regional or local level. To combat it we need all levels to take their proportional responsibility to work together and cooperate. We need subsidiarity. Only subsidiarity, the cornerstone of the European People’s Party, can provide the multifaceted approach that a problem as complex as climate change merits. Through subsidiarity we can make certain that decisions are made as close to the people as possible.

The problem posed by a global issue is that it requires cooperation on a global scale. The seemingly abstract goals agreed upon at the international level have little resonance with the average person. An agreement to reduce carbon emissions by a certain percentage by a certain year does not constitute a strategic plan for the average citizen. Using the tools provided by subsidiarity, we should ensure that European goals translate into proportional action on all levels.

Guided by the principle of subsidiarity, all the relevant levels of decision-making need to turn abstract international agreements into concrete results. Every level of power should take a proportional level of responsibility for the climate, which in turn will result in the realisation of abstract international goals. A change is needed in the way EU climate policy is implemented: it needs to be carried out at the level closest to the people. The appropriate decisions should be made at the appropriate levels, which in turn should be proportionate to the level of power.

It is the grand discussions about emissions and sea levels which give many people a sense of hopelessness in the face of such an enormous challenge. It is also the unpopularity and magnitude of the problem that incline many to call climate change into question altogether. We must urgently progress from debating to acting. For example, clean air initiatives would fall on sympathetic ears with most people, whereas initiatives to remove cars from cities in the name of climate change would solicit resistance. And yet both initiatives would yield the same results.

Climate change can also present an opportunity for the EU. By stepping up to the plate, the EU can position itself not only as the leader in climate change, but also as a model and reference point for those nations that look to progress, not regress. By using its soft power as a legitimate and progressive climate actor, the EU can act as a conduit for international climate policies. This is the rightful place for our Union in the modern world, as a promoter of communication and, more importantly, cooperation.

With the emergence of the EU as the leader in attacking climate change, we would be in a position to choose the direction of environmentalism. This is of the utmost importance since it would help ensure that the future, climate-friendly world economy is also a Euro-friendly economy. No other continent has done so much to cooperate, integrate, create and unite as a cohesive bloc. We have much to contribute to this increasingly divided world. Our ability to act as a guiding force in this huge challenge could be the mechanism through which we define ourselves as an international actor in the twenty-first century.

The lack of commitment on the global level should not discourage us from acting. We have to do what we can to ensure the health of the planet, and especially our ability to continue to inhabit it. If other states do not join us in our effort to work for a sustainable future, that does not eliminate our responsibility to do what we can. The EU is not one of the world’s biggest polluters, but if we do not step forward and lead the way, who will?

We must not be dissuaded by the challenge, but encouraged. European history has been plagued by challenges and difficulties, all of which we have overcome. The tearing down of the Berlin Wall is indicative of our progress as a continent—from building walls to cultivating connections and creating bridges. Thus we must not be afraid to be a leader in global change, because we have not stopped positively reconceptualising the ways in which we live and dream together as a Union. Our Union is a beautiful symbol of how far we have come through our cooperation. Now it is our turn to unite the world in this challenge by leading by example.