Europe's hesitation is sacrificing its sovereignty

In a fragmented and unstable world, marked as never before since the Second World War by geopolitical tensions and competition between antagonistic blocs, sustainability is not an ideological luxury for Europe. It is the very condition of its sovereignty. Producing its own energy, reducing its dependencies, modernising its industry to make it efficient: these are the foundations of strategic autonomy.

And yet, Europe is now backtracking on climate change because it has failed to understand that this is about much more than just the climate.
This is not due to a lack of solutions, but because of the way in which the transition has been portrayed: as a costly constraint, an economic burden, a series of sacrifices imposed on households and businesses. This narrative has done its job. It has fuelled fears, undermined the best intentions, legitimised inaction and paved the way for the current setbacks.

Because when we believe that the transition will make us poorer, we end up slowing it down. When we present it as a price to pay rather than a profitable investment, we pave the way for fragile compromises and half-measures. Recent decisions by the European Union illustrate this point.

The 2040 Climate Law sets an ambitious target of a 90% reduction in emissions. But behind the headlines, concessions are piling up: postponement of ETS 2 – the key mechanism intended to guide investment in buildings and transport – increased use of carbon credits with uncertain effects, and such extensive flexibilities that the European Climate Board itself has warned of the risk of compromising carbon neutrality by 2050. The narrative speaks of leadership. The facts speak of hesitation.

The same logic applies to the “omnibus” package on simplifying sustainability reporting. Presented as a pragmatic move in the name of competitiveness, it actually weakens transparency, reduces monitoring obligations and deprives companies of an essential tool for steering their modernisation. Without measurement and verification, there can be no trust or credible transformation.

The automotive sector is no exception to this shift. By abandoning the planned phase-out of combustion engines, Europe is choosing to prolong a doomed model rather than giving its industry the impetus it needs to become a leader in the technologies of the future. In doing so, it is falling even further behind China. True political courage is not about slowing down to reassure, but about accelerating to prepare for the future.

What is missing today is a change of perspective. The transition is not a cost: it is an investment. Not a punishment: a modernisation. Clean and profitable solutions already exist. So do new economic models, based on efficiency, performance and value creation without wasting resources. Finance can be the lever, not to curb ambition, but to make it possible. And in doing so, gain new markets.

By hesitating, Europe is increasing its vulnerability. By insisting that climate action is too expensive, it is depriving itself of what could make it richer and stronger. The time has come to change the narrative: not less sustainability in order to survive, but more ambition in order to be free. At a time when borders are being redrawn by force and energy is becoming a weapon, climate action is not a European weakness: it is its best strategy for survival.

Published  by Investir (Les Echos).