At COP30, the EU must lead with ambition in climate commitments, close the emissions gap, meet climate funding targets, and strengthen carbon market mechanisms. The EU has shown leadership in climate adaptation funding. Brazil proposes integrating global carbon markets, offering the EU the opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of its mechanisms.
Germany faces challenges in its transition to sustainable value chains and carbon-neutral economic growth, exacerbated by labor and skills shortages. The immigration of qualified workers, even from outside Europe, can address these shortages. Training and recruiting workers with green skills from climate-vulnerable countries can create synergies between economic policy and development cooperation. The need for qualified green workers is crucial to ensure economic competitiveness and transition to a climate-sustainably future.
The European Commission proposed the Horizon Europe programme for 2028-2034, highlighting the need to strengthen EU research and innovation. It aims to overcome the fragmentation and slowness of the current system with two new councils: one for Competitiveness and Security, and another for Global Societal Challenges. These new structures aim to strengthen dual research, industrial sovereignty, defence and economic resilience, as well as address global issues such as climate, health and biodiversity. These councils would support governance, rapid budget reallocation and avoid conflicts of interest. The proposal is considered essential for Europe’s technological relevance, security and global leadership.
The President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Odile Renaud-Basso, highlighted international cooperation, private sector development, good economic governance, environmental sustainability, and the need to mobilize private investors to strengthen infrastructure and human capital. During the annual meeting of the World Bank and the IMF, the adaptation of financial institutions to current challenges was discussed, promoting labour inclusion, institutional transparency and green investments, as well as collaboration between development banks to simplify processes.
In the West Bank, Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians during olive harvests have reached record levels, with over 260 incidents in a month and 1,500 in a year. The UN denounces the impunity of the aggressors, criticizing the Israeli army and warning about Palestinian stability and economy.
