The European Union has decided to continue to implement the sustainability policies set out in the Green Deal, even if the pace of implementation will be significantly affected if the Omnibus Package is adopted. The measures to combat climate change, reach net zero by 2050, and shift away from fossil fuel energy consumption to green energy production and consumption remain in force.

But this seems to be very upsetting to the US, specifically the Trump administration, which is fighting hard to break the Europeans’ decision to change the economic approach by placing corporate responsibility before the financial interests of companies. US President Donald Trump is trying to justify his decision to trigger the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, to combat climate change.

The most recent attempt to discredit European actions was the speech that US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright gave in Poland on April 29, the same day that Spain, Portugal, Andorra and southern France were hit by blackouts due to the collapse of energy networks. Without mentioning this “strange coincidence”, Chris Wright stated that “the US wants the countries of Central and Eastern Europe to join its strategy aimed at “energy freedom”, instead of following the broader plans of Western Europe aimed at the transition to a net zero economy. The first two climate solutions in the coming decades are the same as in the last two decades: natural gas and nuclear energy. And this for a very simple reason: because it works. Net zero 2050 is an absolutely wrong goal. Not only is it unattainable, but blindly pursuing this goal will cause more damage than climate change will cause”, said the US Secretary of Energy in Warsaw.

We intend to talk about energy aspects and the costs of sustainability during the 7th edition of the Sustainability & CSR Excellence Conferences, organized on June 5, on World Environment Day. This year’s theme – SUSTAINABILITY FORWARD – comes as a complement to last year’s edition – HOW MUCH SUSTAINABILITY?

Obviously, the Trump administration’s approach does not have enough followers in Europe, not even in Eastern Europe, which is much more cost-sensitive than its wealthy relatives (read: companies) in the West. But now another, equally strange coincidence of events occurs in rapid succession. Just six days before the US Secretary of Energy made these statements, on April 23, the British government announced its direct involvement in the project of tycoon Bill Gates through which it will screen the sun’s rays to reduce the amount of energy it transmits to the Earth. Beyond the effects that these actions may have on the ozone layer, the project now supported by both the UK and the US means a reduction in the amount of energy that the sun transmits to the thousands of photovoltaic panel parks that have dotted Europe.

Only now does this second “strange coincidence” reveal the extent of the danger it represents for Europeans and show us the true perspective of the shock that the European economy could go through, if solar energy represents a significant share of energy consumption, and especially if there is no viable alternative to this resource. We will put this topic on the program of the Sustainability Forward conference, on April 5. Don’t forget to reserve your place HERE.