N
ot long ago, the European Union could boast of having radically transformed its economy. With the target of carbon neutrality by 2050, the course was set, and, for better or worse, all actors – public and private – fell in line. The milestones toward a decarbonized economy – such as a ban on the sale of combustion-engine cars from 2035, or the sharp reduction in emissions planned for 2040 – guided expectations and shaped business strategies. Through exhortations, regulations and subsidies, the EU put the economies of its 27 member states on a new trajectory. The reluctance of certain countries, such as Hungary and Poland, did not manage to halt the march toward a green economy.
The landscape looks very different today. On October 9, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would "do everything" to avoid making 2035 a hard deadline.
A few weeks earlier, car manufacturers and suppliers had requested in a joint letter to the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, a loosening of the requirements set for that date. Citing the low uptake of electric vehicles, they argued that the target is unattainable and proposed making room for other options, such as plug-in hybrids or highly efficient combustion vehicles.
