Greenpeace appeals to Romanian MEPs, so that they do not abandon the interests of all European citizens because of the election campaigns in Romania.
On 10 September, members of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee (ENVI committee) meet to finalize the proposal for a European Climate Law, which should align Europe with the objectives of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
MEPs Traian Băsescu, Tudor Ciuhodaru, Dan Motreanu and Nicolae Ștefănuță are also part of this commission.
Greenpeace has asked Romanian MEPs to vote for a 65% reduction in emissions by 2030 and to let citizens know what their position is in the negotiations on the Climate Law.
“65% is the target validated by scientists, which keeps us on the path of commitments made by signing the Paris Climate Agreement, signed and ratified by Romania in 2016, an agreement that Romanian politicians must assume,” he says Marian Mândru, Greenpeace Romania campaign coordinator.
Only Nicolae Ștefănuță answered: “I will vote for an ambitious percentage to reduce emissions, a percentage that is being discussed intensely right now among European political groups. Climate change is not only the struggle of our generation, but also of all the generations that come after and expect from us a policy that is oriented towards the future.”
Greenpeace notes that most Romanian politicians do not take climate threats seriously and are not prepared to access abundant European resources for a fair transition to clean energy, a circular economy and, in general, for mitigating the effects of climate change. We find the same situation at the level of the Ministry of Environment, where the Directorate for Climate Change and Sustainable Development has not yet started working on the long-term strategy to reduce carbon emissions, a strategy required by the European Commission and to be completed by the end of the year.
“Persistent drought, floods, extreme weather phenomena, more and more frequent in our country, the rapid degradation of ecosystems signal the lack of action of the authorities against climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors of the economy must be rapidly reduced to zero in the coming decades. For this to happen, a real political effort is needed first and foremost. Romania, a member of the European Union, must support this effort and contribute, through its own actions at national level, to achieving climate neutrality in 2050. We therefore reiterate the call on Traian Băsescu, Tudor Ciuhodaru, Dan Motreanu and Nicolae Ștefănuță to vote for 65% reduction of emissions,” added Marian Mândru.
The ENVI Commission proposal of 10 September will be voted on in the European Parliament in October.