All articles tagged with #green agenda
EU ministers are close to agreeing on a watered-down 2040 climate target, with some countries pushing for weaker goals if forests do not absorb enough CO2, amid ongoing negotiations ahead of the COP30 summit. Top officials warn against weakening the target, emphasizing the importance of maintaining strong climate commitments.
The Biden Administration has committed to phasing out coal power plants nationwide and not building new ones as part of its green agenda. U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry announced at the United Nations climate change summit that the U.S. is joining the Power Past Coal Alliance, a group of 56 nations working to accelerate the phase-out of unabated coal. While the timeline for shutting down existing U.S. coal plants is unclear, other regulatory actions and international commitments have targeted 2035 as a coal-free deadline. As of October, coal accounted for roughly 20% of U.S. electricity generation, down from over 50% in 2008.
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner has indicated that the government plans to suspend the country's debt brake following a constitutional court ruling that deemed the repurposing of emergency COVID-19 funds for the ruling coalition's green agenda as unconstitutional. The ruling limits the government's ability to draw from special funds, forcing it to retroactively include nearly €40 billion of spending for an energy price brake in its regular budget. This has led to the suspension of the debt brake by declaring an emergency. The government will present a draft supplementary budget for 2023 and seek parliamentary approval for an "extraordinary emergency situation."
A New Hampshire man, Kevin Szmyd, has amassed a collection of nearly 5,000 incandescent light bulbs in response to the Biden administration's ban on these bulbs. Szmyd, who could face over $2.6 million in fines if he were to sell them, plans to use them himself. He obtained the bulbs from people looking to switch to LEDs, taking advantage of their desire to get rid of their stock. Szmyd's actions reflect frustration with the government's ban and the belief that individuals should have the freedom to choose their own products.