Lars Aagaard skal give EU et nyt klimamål: "Det er mit livs største politiske opgave"

·24 min·2 clips

Climate Minister Lars Aagaard says getting 27 EU countries to agree on a new 2040 climate target is the biggest political task of his life.

This episode of Altinget taler om Europa features an interview with Danish Climate and Energy Minister Lars Aagaard, conducted by host Thomas Lauritsen at the Danish EU representation in Brussels. The central topic is Denmark's effort, during its EU presidency, to broker an agreement on a new EU climate target for 2040. Aagaard states this is the biggest political task of his life and Denmark's most significant climate policy undertaking in years. The proposed goal is a 90% reduction in emissions, as suggested by the European Commission. Aagaard explains the tight timeline: an extraordinary council meeting of climate ministers is set for September 18, with the aim of reaching a political conclusion to present at the UN's COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, in November. He argues that without this agreement, Europe loses credibility to demand action from other major emitters like China. The minister provides a breakdown of the EU's political landscape regarding the goal. He describes a group of countries ready to sign the Commission's proposal, a larger 'constructive, nervous' bloc concerned about impacts on industry and household costs, and a handful of countries opposed to the ambition or pace. Aagaard links these tensions to a broader political shift in Europe, noting that in recent elections, incoming ministers often have a 'less green mandate' than their predecessors. He observes that the emerging right wing in Europe is framing climate action as an 'overclass project' from the wealthy north. The conversation also touches on the human dimension of climate policy, with Aagaard noting that while polls show Europeans are concerned about climate change, support wanes when solutions become concrete and affect jobs or costs. Towards the end, the discussion shifts to the long-term infrastructure needs for the green transition, such as building electricity grids to move renewable power across the continent. Aagaard concludes by naming his two biggest tasks under the Danish presidency: the 2040 climate goal and a deal on expanding bans on Russian gas imports. The episode ends with host Thomas Lauritsen noting the upcoming EU budget proposal and previewing future summer interviews.

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