Wopke Hoekstra takes part in a hearing of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety in October before becoming EU Commissioner for Climate Action.ecades of climate policy in the European Union have made the bloc a leader in global decarbonization efforts. Championed by officials at the European Commission in Brussels, a suite of regulations have tackled everything from industrial emissions to.
Hoekstra, a former Dutch finance minister and McKinsey consultant, took over the EU’s top climate role last fall in the midst of a wide range of complaints about the bloc’s climate policies. Farmers had taken to the streets of European capitals in protest of environmental rules, and a contentious debate about electric vehicle regulations continued to occupy the attention of automakers.
What might real change look like? Hoekstra cites the buildout of electric vehicles as one place where the commission can ease concerns. Government, he says, can do a better job partnering with industry to build necessary infrastructure, thereby easing consumer adoption and addressing one industry complaint.