Trump is magic. If you believe that acknowledging and adapting to reality is magical, that is. Not only is he reshaping American foreign policy, but he is also reshaping trade policy, cajoling our European allies into paying their fair share of the common defense, and scaring the bejeezus out of our adversaries.
He is also forcing other countries to quit pretending that they can change the weather by reducing cow farts and impoverishing their citizens. Europe's rush to reach Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions has always been predicated on an unsustainable pact among Western powers.
Economic Constraints Drive Change
Each country would agree to artificially constrain economic growth, move in a socialist direction, and pretend that slowing economic growth would be good for everybody. It might work, but only assuming that there was no freer economy in the West to defect to. Biden's Net Zero policies were a key pillar of the policy framework. If the United States went its own way, other countries couldn't maintain the fiction that decarbonizing and slowing growth were inevitable.
France Leads the Rebellion
According to POLITICO, France now wants to delay agreement on the European Union’s next climate target, as President Emmanuel Macron expressed after Thursday’s EU leaders’ summit. The European Commission is set to unveil a contentious proposal to reduce the bloc’s greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2040. This goal, while non-binding, is a requirement for all countries under the Paris Agreement.
As reported by POLITICO, Macron has confirmed that he wants to deal with the 2035 target separately and take more time to discuss the 2040 target. This signals a notable shift in Europe’s approach, especially given that unanimity among the big economies is vital for the plan to work.
Germany's Scholz would accept vote of confidence before ...
Implications of Economic Competitiveness
Macron also stated that the 2040 target must be “compatible with our competitiveness.” This highlights a growing concern among European leaders that the burdens of Net Zero policies may outweigh their perceived benefits. If France breaks with the consensus, it could trigger a domino effect across Europe. Neighboring countries will start questioning why they are bearing the costs of energy transformations without the economic growth they were promised.
Flexibility and Investment Become Key
Many governments have sent long lists of demands for agreeing to a 2040 target, and the Commission is already expected to grant countries significant flexibility to meet the goal in order to win over a majority. This is a clear indication that the economic realities of the Net Zero agenda are forcing leaders to reconsider their commitments.
New British PM delivers first speech: My predecessor 'was not wrong'
Net Zero Policies Under Scrutiny
This shift should come as no surprise. Net Zero is so devastating to economies that the problems can't be hidden forever. The policies were as much about distributing subsidies and socializing economies as they were about reducing emissions. As reported by GovInfo, emissions reductions have become less about environmental stewardship and more about governmental overreach and control.
The costly approach to climate change has left many questioning the sustainability of such policies, and a new grift will have to be found. Unfortunately, as is so common in politics, the people who stole and wasted money—costing citizens so much—will pay no price. Their parasitical policies are met with a shrug.
