Leading climate activist Greta Thunberg has reacted critically to the proposal by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a more ambitious EU climate target.
The 17-year-old Swede was writing in response to a tweet in which von der Leyen said that reducing emissions by at least 55% by 2030 would be "too much for some & not enough for others."
"Too much for some indeed, like fossil fuel companies & lobbyists. And not enough for others, like the science - or those who think we should fulfill what we promised in the Paris Agreement," she tweeted on Wednesday evening.
"Our economy might manage this but the ecosystems won't. And we can't bargain with nature," Thunberg continued.
Too much for some indeed, like fossil fuel companies & lobbyists. And not enough for others, like the science - or those who think we should fulfill what we promised in the Paris Agreement.
Our economy might manage this but the ecosystems won't. And we can't bargain with nature. https://t.co/vIiYAxM9oh— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) September 16, 2020
More ambitious target
In her State of the European Union address on Wednesday, von der Leyen officially proposed reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by at least 55% below the 1990 level by 2030, instead of the 40% previously targeted.
The commission chief said she knew that this increase in the savings target was too much for some and not enough for others, but from her point of view, this new target is ambitious, feasible and good for Europe.
Business associations have warned of excessive demands, while climate activists have criticized the announcement as a sham.
