Europe’s Climate Almost-Epiphany

Brussels all but admits the continent needs a net-zero carbon emissions rethink

WSJ editorial. Excerpts:

"Brussels’s attempt to meet economic challenges from the U.S. and China while assuaging European voters worried about stagnating economic growth. One of the flashier proposals is to rethink the EU’s electric-vehicle mandate, which currently requires all new cars and vans to be zero-emissions by 2035."

"hints at some new flexibility in the intermediate targets that already are taking effect."

"Brussels is all but admitting its mandates are killing Europe’s auto industry"

[the EU] "wants to reduce by 25% the cost of filling in EU-mandated paperwork and other administrative hassles for businesses, and to cut that cost by 35% for small businesses. In the cross-hairs are recent EU rules requiring companies to report on carbon emissions and other environmental effects along their global supply chains."

"Brussels wants to reform financial regulations to make it easier for Europeans to invest in growing companies as Americans can via U.S. capital markets."