As she attempted to accelerate Europe’s decarbonization, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated on Monday that a fossil fuel-based energy mix could not maintain economic growth for future generations.
Von der Leyen spoke at a European Parliament-hosted Brussels event called “Beyond Growth” about balancing economic growth with environmental aims.
“A growth model centred on fossil fuels is simply obsolete,” von der Leyen said. The EU’s Green Deal energy transition aims to create “a different growth model that is sustainable far into the future.”
The 27-member EU aims to lower net emissions by 55% by 2030 and reach “net zero” by 2050, leading worldwide decarbonization efforts.
To reach 2050, it wants a legally binding 2040 milestone.
Von der Leyen and other conference speakers praised the 1972 “Limits To Growth” study, which described MIT scientists’ computer simulation of a world destabilized by material consumption.
From the start, that simulation was criticized for being incorrect and praised for predicting accelerating planetary stress.
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