BRUSSELS — Pro-European forces should resist backtracking on the Green Deal to avoid damaging the European Union’s credibility and leadership, said Virginijus Sinkevičius, a former environment commissioner who is now a Green member of the European Parliament.
Speaking to POLITICO from his office on the fifth floor of the European Parliament, the Lithuanian politician argued it would be “a mistake” to walk back the bloc’s green agenda just as it is being rolled out.
“I already see that there is a frustration among the businesses … Many of them already have streamlined their investments into a transition, into sustainability, and if you suddenly put the reverse gear, everyone will see that you cannot be trusted,” Sinkevičius said, adding that it would be “a big hit [on] our credibility.”
He urged that the work of the past five years continue, saying the return of Donald Trump to the White House was an “opportunity” for sustainable business to “return back to Europe.”
