Comment: Go talk!

During the presidency of Donald Trump, whose first act in office was to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, no one may have wanted Americans to support global efforts against climate change more than the EU. The burden of leading the way and acting as a role model for the the global community was hard, given a very heterogeneous alliance in which several countries were still heavily dependent on fossil fuels.

With Joe Biden's presidency, climate protection returned to the White House. Already during his election campaign, Biden made promises to the people in his country, which is already suffering greatly from the effects of climate change. After a tough struggle and two years in office, he has finally succeeded in capturing all the sceptics in his own (!) party, and at least got the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) off the ground. Bigger packages had failed within the Democratic party.

So with the IRA there's a climate protection package still worth billions. Finally, the US wants to tackle its ailing infrastructure and massively expand in renewables - but now criticism is coming from Europe of all places. What's happened? The subsidies and tax credits in the IRA are tied to companies using US products or producing in the US. Strengthening the own country - America First - is announced again even without Trump in office.

This is obviously not what the Europeans had in mind. There is great fear in the EU that companies will invest in the US rather than in Europe in the future because of the tax advantages.

Germany's Economics Minister Robert Habeck even speaks of a "dark side" to the IRA. The law is not compatible with the rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), is the criticism. Habeck consequently proposes measures to strengthen European competitiveness. Europe also needs a comprehensive plan. He spoke of accelerated expansion of renewable energies, the need for more skilled workers, tax advantages and more attractive conditions.

So is there a new trade war looming between the partners? Even in view of the energy crisis and the Ukraine war with its incalculable consequences for climate protection - in addition to all human suffering - it must not come to that. Europe and the US would do well to move forward together, also to pull the other continents along. Climate protection must be at the forefront on both sides, because only in standing together there's still a chance against climate change.

So get together and talk!