BRUSSELS — Emmanuel Macron built his reputation as Europe’s climate crusader with a defiant call to “make our planet great again.” Now he’s the one jamming on the brakes.
The French president spent the last few months pressing his fellow leaders to hit pause on setting the European Union’s next climate goals, culminating in last week’s cancellation of a vote that was expected to set the EU’s targets for 2035 and 2040.
Macron insists he’s in favor of rigorous climate targets and just wants more time to ensure the EU is getting this far-reaching decision right. But his efforts have put him in the same camp as traditional climate blockers such as Poland and Hungary, boosting their chances of weakening the bloc’s green ambitions.
And they have left the EU struggling to comply with the Paris Agreement, exactly 10 years after France led the world to the breakthrough climate accord.
