Environment

EU eyes digitalization as a tool to tackle climate change

Brussels, Jul 23 (EFE).- Ahead of the summer recess the European Commission set out a raft of measures to incentivise “clean technology” and help the European Union hit its target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

  “Emission of CO2 must have a price — a price on CO2 that incentivises consumers, producers and innovators to choose the clean technologies, to go towards the clean and sustainable products,” Ursula von der Leyen said in a 14 July speech on the European Green Deal.

To bring about this change of lifestyle, production and consumption, Brussels put forward 12 proposals, two of which are fundamental pillars of the EU’s green transition plans.

The first of these is the modification of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) by 2025, increasing the price per ton of CO2 and including aviation, maritime transport, private vehicles and household energy consumption.

The Commission also aims to introduce a tax on imports from non-EU countries should the product’s manufacturing produce more CO2 than would be permitted inside the bloc.

The EU is pushing for a green transformation over the next 30 years with the aid of recovery fund investments.

Among the EU member states prioritizing a digital overhaul is Spain, which has allocated 28% of the funding from Next Generation EU to developing the sector, a strategy Brussels hopes will boost sustainability.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Spanish MEP Iban García del Blanco of Spain’s Socialist Party (PSOE), which leads the national government, told Efe that “artificial intelligence must serve as an instrumental element to boost efficiency (…), addressing issues of environmental sustainability in every decision and process.”

These changes will have an impact on technology companies operating in the EU.

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