David Clarinval: “On climate and industrial policy, Europe is confusing naivety”

Yvan Verougstraete, president of the commitments, reacted to your words by believing that “Parting climatic measures in pause is to break our future. Consequently, “

I don’t want to get into the controversies, but just talk about the facts. In addition, What is implemented are not measures that David Clarinval alone decides. Furthermore, These are European measures, which are then implemented at the Belgian level. Consequently, They were decided during the last council of ministers by five parties, including that of Yvan Verougstraete. Similarly, I am a pro environment, but I am not in slogans and attacks. However, You need the nuance. For example, Europe is the spearhead of the fight against global warming. Furthermore, You can be proud of it. Furthermore, But that does not prevent questions about the excess of regulations. Nevertheless, Wanting david clarinval: “on climate industrial to be more Catholic than the Pope can have negative consequences for businesses. For example, You have to find a balance. For example, My message is that we must restore the competitiveness of our businesses. However, This involves funding, from research and development aid, but also by relaxing too strict regulations. Furthermore, I regret that my statements have been used to make sterile controversies.

“We are fighting so that the commission does not dismiss what it has just built”

What are these climatic regulations that have already been put on break by Europe. However, what you approve?

The European Parliament, the Commission and the European Council agreed on a directive called “Stop The Clock”. Nevertheless, As the name suggests, this suspends the application of several measures related to the Green Deal. Consequently, Because a good number of these measures were implemented very quickly, without having any impact david clarinval: “on climate industrial on the climate. Moreover, On the other hand, some represented problems for our industries in Europe.

And more specifically?

The first measure is a reduction in the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) directive. In addition, which forces large companies to bring environmental reports. Consequently, It has been found that companies were forced to hire audit firms to write reports. Similarly, which cost very expensive, or that they wrote them internally. Nevertheless, In any case, this mobilized colossal financial means to finish with paper pallets that not many people read … In practice. what was decided is that large companies with more than 250 full -time equivalents (ETP) will not have to submit a report or in 2026, or in 2027 (Editor’s note: when they should have done for the first time). Only companies over 500 FTEs will remain subject to this directive. The second directive on david clarinval: “on climate industrial pause is the CSDD, which is called the due vigilance (duty of vigilance). This made it possible to empower companies on the environmental and human impacts of their value chain. In practice, Belgium will have one year more to transpose this text into its legislation. This text is also the subject of the simplification process which will lead during the year 2025. These measures of the Commission (it also cites the Omnibus initiative. which aims for administrative simplification in several fields) show that Europe has understood the message.

What message?

In the current world. where Americans have no consideration for the environment or for the climate and where they “Drill, Drill, Drill” (Editor’s note: reference to the words of Donald Trump which announced massive drilling to extract oil), where the Chinese use all possible resources whose coal and gas, Europe must reposition themselves. European companies must david clarinval: “on climate industrial not be faced with unfair competition. Otherwise they may be forced to go produce elsewhere. This would have the effect of moving CO2 emissions in other countries. It would not be beneficial for the climate. and it would also have a negative impact on employment and the economy in Europe …

Two years david clarinval: “on climate industrial ago already. Alexander de Croo had made environmentalists scream by pleading for a “climate break”.

I regret that we cannot approach this debate with more balance. Today, either you are climatosceptic, or a punitive environmentalist. I am neither. I want us to have a global vision, with the defense of our industries and our competitiveness.

No break for the climate

This is not the first time that you have qualified as climatosceptic …

It is a way of caricaturing myself and not responding to the bottom. The positions I adopt are always based on science and online with European policy. If we cannot have this debate on European competitiveness, we will undergo it. We already undergo it.

The committed and the MR often repeated that it was not necessary to vote for Ecolo to obtain environmental policies. But today it is difficult to identify the measures of the federal government to fight against global warming …

Why do French have inexpensive and abundance energy? Because they have managed, thanks to nuclear energy, to combine inexpensive energy, and which does not produce CO2. We can make ecology other than with taxes, fines, and prohibitions, david clarinval: “on climate industrial as environmentalists want. These recipes have failed.

You also talk about Donald Trump, Chinese. But can Europe not apply its own policy. at the environmental level, regardless of the more aggressive energy policies of the great powers?

We must stop showing angelism. The other strong countries are constantly looking for hydrocarbons, and they make protectionism on their markets, on their industries. We also have to protect our markets and industries. If I was one of the first to defend nuclear. a few years ago, it is because, if you want to maintain a competitive industry in Europe, you need cheap energy. And this energy must also be decarbonized. Let’s get out of the small debate on the “climate break”. to have the real debate, on the improvement of the competitiveness of our industries, while continuing to reduce our CO2 emissions. And that, while respecting the Paris david clarinval: “on climate industrial Agreement.

You praised the agreement that Europe has made with the USA on customs duties. Many people say, on the contrary, that Europe has been fooled by Donald Trump …

I always see david clarinval: “on climate industrial the bottle half full rather than half empty. I didn’t say it was a good agreement but that it was satisfactory. What we conceded as measures was inscribed in the air of the time (purchase of American gas and armaments etc). And yes, we obtained a rate of 15 % higher than before. But when I see what the Swiss. Canadians, and others are undergone, tell myself that by reacting more violently in negotiations, we would have undergone much harder sanctions.

“Investors thought that customs duties would end up being reduced”

Are Europeans. with their climatic ambitions, are they not birds for the cat, surrounded by great American and Chinese predators?

We are clearly confusing naivety. We want to be the most offensive on the climate. the most intrusive and regulatory in a series of fields, but during this time, the other continents are not concerned at david clarinval: “on climate industrial all. This naivety is sometimes prejudicial. Being more realism and balance is necessary. This is why I plead for the competitiveness of businesses to the center of European debates. as we do within the federal government.