When economic growth and environmental concerns clash, which one is to be chosen? True, such decisions are taken according to the individual country’s socio-economic and environmental contours. But at times, such situations toughens decision-making. So, is the case of the European Union. It is under pressure. The European Environmental Bureau, an independent environmental watchdog, criticized the EU for failing to implement its own laws and warned it not to sacrifice environmental policies for the sake of economic growth. The organization appealed to E.U. member states to support European Commission plans to cut emissions caused by air travel in Europe by 2008. It has also requested the Commission to finalize an energy efficiency bill that would introduce mandatory energy savings targets for European businesses. To add to this, the bureau urged the U.K., which holds the E.U. rotating presidency, to tackle climate change at the international level and to put the E.U. back on track to meet its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol that requires industrial nations to reduce carbon dioxide.
Via: The Business Online