The Washington PostThe Washington Post

Europe blinks in its commitment to a great green transition

By William Booth and Anthony Faiola

06 Aug 2023 · 6 min read

informed Summary

  1. The U.K. and the EU have pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, but the measures required to achieve this are facing backlash due to the economic and political costs.

LONDON - Europe made big, bold promises to slash carbon emissions to slow global warming, but now the bill is coming due, and governments are starting to blink at the cost - political and economic - needed to power the great transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewables.

Once far-off goals are getting more real, as Europe wrestles with how to tell Germans which cars they can drive, Italians which stoves are acceptable, Polish miners why they must abandon coal, and Britons why they can't keep exploiting their country's massive oil and gas reserves.

Sign in to informed

  • Curated articles from premium publishers, ad-free
  • Concise Daily Briefs with quick-read summaries
  • Read, listen, save for later, or enjoy offline
  • Enjoy personalized content
Or

LoginForm.agreeToTerms