By Pavel Antonov
Two people wrote this editorial: me, and my six-month-old daughter. A squealing, babbling and kicking baby on my knees doesn't make for perfect writing conditions, but certainly lends sharp perspective. In the coming decade, the health of millions of children will greatly depend on the quality of environment; but even as the EU continues to expand, some political leaders appear far removed from the environmental concerns of so many parents in CEE. The good news is that a tide of environmentally responsible thinking seems to be spreading across Europe nonetheless.
In March, the leaders of EU member states adopted a climate protection programme involving binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of renewable energies by 2020. Praised by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso as "the most ambitious climate protection strategy anywhere in the world," the European Council's decision has reaffirmed the EU's commitment to global sustainability leadership.
The reason for this "true triumph" — quoting UK Prime Minister Tony Blair here — is not necessarily a love for nature. Britain's Special Representative for Climate Change John Ashton warns against labelling the trend as "environmental" (see opposite page). Rather, he claims, a low-carbon economy is a matter of continental security and prosperity, and a way to restore citizens' trust in the European project. Whatever the case may be, the Council's decision makes me prouder as an EU citizen and more relieved as a father.
But not everyone shares these sentiments. The EC's own vice-president responsible for industry, Gunther Verheugen, appears to be one such person. On the eve of the Spring Council meeting, Verheugen warned against "climate hysteria" and claimed that strict carbon targets will harm Europe's competitiveness. Quite contrary to these remarks, Ashton believes a low-carbon switch will actually improve Europe's competitiveness and self-confidence.
Verheugen is not alone in opposing the EU's climate commitments. In spite of provisions that the new targets be shared "fairly and equitably" between member states and take into account different national "circumstances, starting points and potentials," the plan has not been universally embraced within CEE. Mirek Topolanek, the Czech prime minister, has called the targets "unreasonable" and "nonsensical" — comparing them to the five-year economic plans imposed under communism. But Czech President Vaclav Klaus has resorted to even stronger rhetoric.
"The biggest threat to freedom, democracy, the market economy and prosperity at the beginning of the 21st century is not communism, [but] the threat of ambitious environmentalism," Klaus wrote to the US House of Representatives.
Should someone read Klaus' words seriously, it would seem that the new 'threat' for the region is coming from Brussels. Indeed, most recently the EC has requested that Poland and the Czech Republic should cut their planned annual industrial greenhouse gas emissions for 2008-12 by 27 percent and 15 percent respectively.
Earlier in March, the Commission took Poland to the European Court of Justice over a motorway cutting through the protected Rospuda Valley habitat, a Natura2000 site. Poland chose to defy earlier warnings and to proceed with the construction project. And Bulgaria, one of the EU's newest members, is also having a hard time complying with Natura 2000, the EU's network of protected areas.
But today's generation of parents in CEE is quite well aware of the differences between communism and environmentalism. Paradoxically, polling evidence fails to show an overwhelming base of public support for the anti-environmental stances of governments. In fact, according to Kiril Avramov, a senior analyst for Political Capital, a Budapest-based think-tank, public support for environmental movements and new green parties seems to be on the rise across the region. If this proves correct, the tide of environmentally aware politics, policy making and consumer behaviour will soon reach CEE.
It is already here, actually. Among the first signs: rising real estate prices in green areas, and a growing interest in bio products. Climate change consequences and the loss of natural habitats and ecosystems have people worried. As the region becomes wealthier, health and security are becoming more and more a concern for many parents, myself included. And concerned parents make for impassioned voters. Rather than building lines of defence against environmentalism, CEE politicians should learn to keep pace with it.
