Does the EU need a Climate Czar?

Following the COP27, which was disappointing from the EU’s point of view, calls for a European climate envoy are growing louder. They should only take care of the international climate negotiations. The idea is not easy to implement, but there would be some good candidates.

„We need a European John Kerry,“ said Peter Liese, environmental spokesman for the EPP, after the end of COP27. Frans Timmermans is overburdened in his role as climate commissioner because he is responsible for both EU legislation and international climate policy, according to Liese. In Sharm el-Sheikh, he said, the bridges were built by others, meaning US climate envoy John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua. Timmermans had no time for any diplomatic COP preparations because he was busy with EU legislation, the MEP accuses him.

Sign up now and continue reading immediately