EU Green Deal Ruins Bloc's Competitiveness for Elusive Climate Goals, Austrian Lawmaker Says

ST.PETERSBURG (Sputnik) - Europe's obsession with lowering carbon dioxide emissions and the anti-fossil fuel energy policies are self-defeating as they trade off competitiveness for elusive reduction of CO2 emissions, Roman Haider, an EU lawmaker of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), said.

"Europe is destroying and abandoning its clean industry to see China, India and US taking over and what for? For nothing! CO2 will not become less, but more because of dirtier production in those countries. I mean carbon leakage," Haider said.

The lawmaker added that such goals as that to switch to 100% renewable energy by 2050 under the Paris Climate Agreement are "silly" and will never be reached by any country.

"As for Glasgow climate summit: some 400 private jets brought the summit guests to Scotland. According to the Daily Mail, these flights alone released 13,000 tons of carbon dioxide. No further comment necessary!" Haider said.

The UN Conference on Climate Change (COP26) is running until November 12 in Glasgow, Scotland, in an effort to facilitate joint actions on climate change and commit to more ambitious goals of greenhouse gas emissions reduction.