‘Dream team’: Green groups breathe a sigh of relief on von der Leyen’s climate choices

Ursula von der Leyen’s green choices have gained a cautious thumbs-up from climate activists and the clean energy lobby, after a first mandate that saw environmental laws take centre stage.  

The re-appointment of Dutchman Wopke Hoekstra as EU climate commissioner, alongside fresh blood from Danish social democrat Dan Jørgensen taking the energy portfolio, appears to have calmed fears over a U-Turn away from the Green Deal, the flagship policy of her first term. 

They were handed their portfolios this morning in a keenly awaited presentation by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who gave Spain’s environment minister Teresa Ribera an executive vice-president position in charge of a “clean, just and competitive transition”. 

Linda Kalcher, executive director of the climate think tank Strategic Perspectives, described the trio as a “dream team” that could carry the legacy of the Green Deal through into the Clean Industrial Deal she has promised for her second five-year mandate.

“They understand the geopolitical uncertainties, pressure on European companies and import dependencies,” Kalcher said, adding they would be well placed to navigate the geopolitical tensions and tariffs that a second Trump presidency might entail. 

“As strong advocates for moving to a fossil-free energy system, it will be on them to lower LNG [liquefied natural gas] imports from the US,” Kalcher said. She was confident that Denmark’s former minister for development and global climate would be able to withstand lobbying pressure from big oil and gas companies. 

“I expect him to be immune against greenwashing claims that blue hydrogen or various carbon removal technologies will solve all our problems tomorrow, while being pragmatic on nuclear,” Kalcher said. 

Dutch MEP Bas Eickhout, who chairs the Greens group, said: “It’s good to see that the urgent need to counter climate change will remain at the core of EU policymaking for the new mandate.” 

“We need to massively invest in renewable energies, good jobs and green European industries,” Eickhout said, but cautioned that he wanted “clarity on how the new portfolios dealing with climate change and decarbonisation will work in practice”. 

Others have searched for clues about future policy direction in the sometimes unconventional way that von der Leyen has combined portfolios – and Hoekstra, who gets taxation policy along with climate, is a case in point. 

The Dutchman who served a five-year stint as finance minister, and recently branded the lack of taxation of aviation fuel an “absurdity”, will have to figure out how to deal with member states blocking reforms to the Energy Taxation Directive.  

“The inclusion of taxation in the portfolio raises hopes that future taxation initiatives will reflect the polluter pays principle – while being socially just,” said Sven Harmeling, of campaign alliance Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe. “A permanent tax on the fossil fuel industry would be a good place to start.” 

Likewise, Jørgensen’s energy brief is combined with a role as the first ever EU housing commissioner. There’s a certain logic: buildings remain the largest consumer of fossil fuels in the bloc, and legislators recently set tough short-term targets for cutting energy use. 

CAN Europe’s head of buildings policy Eva Bradinelli noted the “strong interlink” between the two policy areas and said a push for substantial renovation of a “widely inefficient” building sector would help reduce bills and hence housing costs. 

Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, agreed Jørgensen’s dual brief made “perfect sense”. 

“Solar on social housing, for example, is low-hanging fruit to decarbonise our grid and ensure no-one is left behind,” she said. 

Representing the fastest growing source of renewable energy in Europe, the Brussels-based trade association welcomed von der Leyen’s call for Jørgensen to produce an “electrification action plan”, and called for tax reforms as an incentive. 

Von der Leyen’s attributions settle the question over who will represent the EU at the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan in November. Hoekstra, responsible for climate action in the college due to serve until 1 November, will likely attend even if there is a delay to formalising the new team.  

The acid test of the next EU executive’s commitment to climate action will come early next year, when Hoekstra will have to propose a 2040 emissions reduction target; he has already publicly backed a drastic cut of 90% below 1990 levels. 

Some climate and environmental groups remained sceptical, however, about the intentions of the new von der Leyen Commission. “If competitiveness means lowering social and environmental standards and giving in to big polluters, it will not deliver jobs, nor protect lives and the nature we all depend on,” said Jorgo Riss, director of Greenpeace EU.