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”Removing trade barriers on green services and climate-friendly goods”

2020-01-14

Three quick questions to Arba Kokalari, Moderate MEP and the EPP Group member with responsibility for developing sustainable trade and the circular economy.

What do you see as the most important changes that need to happen in order to promote a circular economy, not just in the EU but also globally?

– We need to step up our efforts if we are going to achieve the climate goals. The EU Commission recently presented its climate priorities – the Green Deal, where the Commission will put forward a plan for how we can strengthen the circular economy, both in the EU and globally. We need more market-based measures but no more detailed regulations or bans. In addition, we need to encourage climate-smart trade by removing trade barriers on green services and climate-friendly goods that can be reused or recycled. The textile, construction, electronics and plastics industries are today the most resource intensive – that is where we must focus our efforts.

Who do you see as the key social actors in order to be able to achieve sustainable trade and a circular economy?

– We see a positive development where industry has decided to lead the way and develop new technology and climate-smart solutions. We, the politicians, must encourage and facilitate this. It is through technological development and transforming the most resource-intensive industries that we can make the biggest difference of all. As politicians, we must also facilitate trade in sustainable goods and services by removing current barriers, both between EU countries and on non-EU countries. There is also great responsibility on all of us as consumers

– every day we can through our choices help the transition and encourage companies to develop in the right way.

What will your work focus on?

– To achieve the climate goals, we need less protest politics and more action that produces results, not least technological development and the effective use of resources. We need market-based solutions and common regulations for climate-smart solutions. I will work so that we will focus on the measures that make the greatest difference.

Arba Kokalari was interviewed by Angelica Tessmar and Jon Millarp, senior consultants at New Republic. ‘Three Quick Questions…’ is a series of interviews conducted by New Republic.

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