The European Union issued its most ambitious climate roadmap just as the bloc is facing severe headwinds from angry farmers and an ailing industrial base increasingly alarmed about the high costs of a rapid green transition.
The European Union’s executive arm is set to recommend a 90% net reduction of greenhouse gases by 2040, a target backed by climate scientists and criticized by the industry in the face of high energy prices and growing international rivalry in clean technologies.
The green shift in the 27-nation bloc, which is already legally bound to reduce greenhouse gases by 55% this decade, will affect every corner of the economy.
The British government is in talks with the United States and European Union to prevent potential trade barriers from harming its position in the green-energy race.
During the past four years, Vittorio Borelli spent about 50 million euros ($58 million) buying equipment for his company’s ceramic-making facility in northern Italy. New gas-fired kilns slashed the time necessary to heat porcelain at more than 1,000 degrees Celsius, saving energy and reducing carbon emissions.
