What Michael spoke about.

18 Dec

2024

EN Speech

Restoring the EU’s competitive edge – the need for an impact assessment on the Green Deal policies (topical debate)

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Mr President, colleagues, Vice-President of the Commission, first of all, I want to remind my colleagues from the EPP, even though Mr Weber already left, that the Green Deal is the idea of the conservative Commission President Ursula von der Leyen – it is your man on the moon project, and now you are stabbing your own Commission president in the back. Remember, it even took the Green votes to get …

26 Nov

2024

DE Speech

Outcome of COP 29 and challenges for international climate policy (debate)

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13 Nov

2024

DE Speech

UN Climate Change Conference 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan (COP29) (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen! Yesterday, the heads of state and government met at the climate conference, and the European Union was represented by Viktor Orbán and Giorgia Meloni. I'd like to ask Ursula von der Leyen if she's embarrassed. Europe is the continent that warms the fastest of all. And now, after Donald Trump's election victory, it's up to us! Madam President von der Leyen, you m…

22 Oct

2024

EN Speech

Situation in Azerbaijan, violation of human rights and international law and relations with Armenia (debate)

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Mr President, dear colleagues, what a shame! The climate conference will once again be held in a fossil autocracy. Azerbaijan profits from fossil fuels while repressing its own people. And it should not be entrusted with the presidency of the climate conference. I know – and we know – that Azerbaijan's security is watching us right now as we expose their dirty business, because President Aliyev is…

8 Oct

2024

DE Speech

The crisis facing the EU’s automotive industry, potential plant closures and the need to enhance competitiveness and maintain jobs in Europe (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! We Greens want the plants to continue to work, for the people in the automotive industry to have work. But anyone who pretends that we can simply continue to build burners does not tell the truth, he scatters sand in people's eyes. Yes, Europe's automotive industry is in crisis, but that's because of the combustion engine, not the electric car. We have to deal with t…

7 Oct

2024

DE Speech

The extreme wildfires in Southern Europe, in particular Portugal and Greece and the need for further EU climate action on adaptation and mitigation (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! Today we are discussing the forest fires in Portugal and Greece. During the last week of the plenary session, we had to debate the floods in half of Europe. And unfortunately this makes it clear: The climate crisis has reached our latitudes. And it costs people lives in the here and now, it costs people their existence. And these forest fires, they just show anew: Th…

18 Sep

2024

DE Speech

The devastating floods in Central and Eastern Europe, the loss of lives and the EU’s preparedness to act on such disasters exacerbated by climate change (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! The floods are unbearable, and my deepest thanks go to the firefighters, the security forces, who in part give their lives to save people. But the floods are not just a natural disaster; The intensity and frequency are man-made. We have to stick to the facts. The EU Commission itself says that the climate crisis in Europe has already caused dama…

17 Sep

2024

DE Speech

State of the Energy union (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner! First of all, let's talk about the renewable energies that work. We already produce more energy, more electricity from sun and wind than from fossils, more electricity comes from wind power than is produced from gas. This is our European success story and it must continue and it must accelerate. Because it is also clear: The more electricity we produce with the domestic…

24 Apr

2024

DE Speech

The attack on climate and nature: far right and conservative attempts to destroy the Green Deal and prevent investment in our future (topical debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Four and a half years ago, the European Parliament – and the Conservatives, by the way – declared a climate emergency here. We promised citizens that we would listen to their call for genuine climate protection and modernisation. And today? Today, a fossil alliance of conservatives to the far right is attacking European climate protection. Incidentally, also in …

24 Apr

2024

EN Speech

The attack on climate and nature: far right and conservative attempts to destroy the Green Deal and prevent investment in our future (topical debate)

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Mr President, it’s a point of order, really, to the debate, not speaking time. We have invited activists from the Fridays for Future movement. Some of them have been here already, in 2019, and they want to follow the debate. The services are not letting them in. I think they have the right to follow the debate about climate and to follow the debate about the future. This is unacceptable for us. Le…

11 Apr

2024

DE Speech

Internal markets for renewable gas, natural gas and hydrogen (recast) - Common rules for the internal markets for renewable gas, natural gas and hydrogen (recast) - Union’s electricity market design: Regulation - Union’s electricity market design: Directive (joint debate – Reform of the energy and electricity markets)

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Mr President, dear Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! This reform should be a big hit and make the European electricity market crisis-proof and fit for 100% renewable energy. But what came out? A rebuke and a rain of money for the coal and nuclear industries on taxpayers' backs. Expensive and uneconomic nuclear power is to be promoted in the same way as renewables, and unfortunately we are losing…

13 Mar

2024

DE Speech

Type-approval of motor vehicles and engines with respect to their emissions and battery durability (Euro 7) (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, This is a looser law. It makes sense to have a standard that is demanding, noticeably improves air quality, but remains feasible. These are the words of the boss of the world's largest automotive supplier, Bosch. And what is on the table is none of it – it is undemanding, there is no improvement in standards and air quality. And it shows the core of the problem:…

12 Mar

2024

DE Speech

EU climate risk assessment, taking urgent action to improve security and resilience in Europe (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, The European Environment Agency is sounding the alarm: Europe is hardest hit by and ill-prepared for the climate crisis on all continents. This is specifically about farmers in Spain who will soon no longer be able to grow anything on their fields because of the heat and because there is not enough water available. It is about people who live in Hamburg, Brem…

6 Feb

2024

DE Answer

EU2040 climate target (debate)

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The reports that the Germans voted against are not correct; Maybe you'll find out a little better. But what's true is what you said: We need to take international responsibility. However, this does not mean that climate protection should be pursued elsewhere for us. This means that we are taking on our historical responsibility, and this means that we must already achieve climate protection, clima…

6 Feb

2024

DE Speech

EU2040 climate target (debate)

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Mr President! Commissioner, your climate target is timid. It is the minimum of what is scientifically necessary. Even Söder and Aiwanger in Bavaria want to be climate neutral in 2040. So, only 90% reduction is really not an overload. The economy wants bold, long-term climate goals because prosperity secures and investment security creates. And the CDU thinks brakes are economic policy. Brakes don'…

5 Feb

2024

DE Speech

State of EU solar industry in light of unfair competition (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen! China, the US, the whole world is promoting their solar industry through major state programmes – only Europe thinks the market regulates it. Don't be so naive! The European solar industry is on the verge of ruin. And we Greens, we call on you as the EU Commission to: Don't let that happen! If the European solar factories s…

17 Jan

2024

DE Speech

Quality jobs in a competitive future-oriented social market economy (topical debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Today, the largest producer of solar modules in Europe, Meyer Burger, has announced that it will leave Europe. This is a wake-up call. Why? Because the solar industry creates many millions of jobs, just like other industries of the energy transition, heat pumps, battery cells, electrolysers, etc. These are the good and safe jobs of tomorrow, the jo…

14 Dec

2023

DE Speech

Outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (COP28) (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen! 2023 was the hottest year in human history – with floods, storms, fires everywhere, with high costs for humanity and for the economy. We are still on a 2.9-degree earth heating path, and Professor Schellnhuber has told us at 3 degrees it means the end of human civilization. This has not changed at this climate conference. It's good to finally say after 28 years …

20 Nov

2023

DE Speech

UN Climate Change Conference 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (COP28) (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Do you remember the summer? Greece and Libya were flooded, and Australia is still burning. And most do not expect anything from the next climate conference, because at the top is an oil boss. Let me tell you: We can't afford it! Putting your hands in your lap means a 3 degree hotter world. Climate protection is too important. In Dubai, we as a global communit…

11 Jul

2023

DE Question

Nature restoration (debate)

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Yes, dear Peter Liese, you voted for the Climate Protection Act, you voted for the LULUCF Regulation. 10% of Europe's climate target comes from nature. How will you achieve this if you vote against this law? If you vote against the law, you vote against climate protection, against the Green Deal, against Ursula von der Leyen's big project. We are not meeting our climate goals.…

10 Jul

2023

DE Speech

Industrial Emissions Directive - Industrial Emissions Portal - Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure - Sustainable maritime fuels (FuelEU Maritime Initiative) - Energy efficiency (recast) (joint debate - Fit for 55 and Industrial Emissions)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Among the ten best-selling electric car models in 2022, only one is from the European Union. The rest comes from the United States and China. Unfortunately, European manufacturers have already missed the mark here, and some in this House are still clinging to e-fuels and combustion engines, making the modernisation of the economy even more difficult. It is cl…

14 Jun

2023

DE Speech

Make Europe the place to invest (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, You will agree with me: We want a strong economy and a strong industry. The race has begun all over the world. The US is investing $400 billion to set up new climate industries, China is doing the same - and what is Europe doing? We are arguing about climate protection. You, the Conservatives, want to take a break. And what is the result? The only company tha…

31 May

2023

EN Speech

Order of business

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Madam President, dear colleagues, climate activists need to be protected and we need them now more than ever – these are not my words; these are the words of the UN Secretary—General, António Guterres, on the recent events in Germany. And you want to do the opposite – you want to criminalise them; you want to silence them and you want to silence the debate on the climate emergency. But whether you…

20 Apr

2023

DE Speech

IPCC report on Climate Change: a call for urgent additional action (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen! You may have seen this chart in the World Climate Report. I looked at that. I didn't realize what it meant at first, but it's existential: Children born in 2020 can experience a world three degrees hotter when they are 45 years old. This means that billions are affected by droughts, famines and floods. It's a cold world, a world without freedom. You may also kno…

17 Apr

2023

DE Speech

Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System - Monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport - Carbon border adjustment mechanism - Social Climate Fund - Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System for aviation (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, A journalist recently asked me if the Greens had now discovered the market. No, we have always been for the market, but we are above all for climate protection, and this requires market and bidding. The market alone is not enough, dear Peter Liese. The invisible hand of the market, which does not build solar panels on the roof and which also does not renovate ho…