At the recent Dornbirn Global Fibers Conference in Austria, Professor Franz Josef Radermacher of Ulm University delivered a compelling argument urging the European Union to reassess its current climate strategy. He emphasized that despite the EU’s decreasing emissions, global fossil CO₂ emissions continue to rise, hitting a new record in 2023. This, he argued, calls into question the overall effectiveness of Europe’s current approach in addressing climate change on a planetary scale.
Radermacher warned that the European Green Deal, while ambitious, risks becoming a “costly climate prison” if it continues to focus inward. He pointed out that reducing one ton of carbon within the EU often costs significantly more than achieving the same reduction through climate actions in developing countries, such as protecting forests or restoring ecosystems.
Currently, only about 3% of EU climate funds are directed toward these high-impact, lower-cost international solutions. Radermacher suggested that a shift in investment strategy could yield greater climate benefits per euro spent. He urged the EU to allocate more of its resources to global projects that integrate renewables, carbon capture, and nature-based solutions. He concluded with a strong message: the goal should not only be reducing Europe’s own emissions, but also maximizing global impact through smart investment.
