83. How Europe is Racing to Zero with Frans Timmermans and Nigel Topping

The Climate Ambition Summit this week announced some of the most ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions we have seen to date. And so with the European Commission announcing it’s target of 55% GHG reductions by 2030, the world has optimistically moved even closer to limiting warming to only 1.5C. So, what set of actual policies, financing, social protections and market incentives will guide the EU towards achieving this ambitious target? The European Green Deal. It’s a set of bold policies guaranteeing “economic growth decoupled from resource use” as well as ensuring “no place and no person is left behind.” Our guest this week is a major champion for The Green Deal, First Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans. Frans shares his deeply emotional family connection to our responsibility in this historic moment, and we discuss his passion for climate when it comes to radical shifts in energy that bring about redistribution of wealth and justice to the inequality crisis.   And stick around for a performance from Rhys Lewis!   —   Please fill out our listener survey! - Thank you!   Don’t forget to join ‘Count Us In’ with your practical steps towards protecting our planet against climate change!   —   Rhys Lewis Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube   —   Frans Timmermans Twitter | Instagram | Facebook   EU Climate Action Twitter | Instagram   —   Nigel Topping Twitter | LinkedIn Keep up with Christiana Figueres here: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook   —   Tom Rivett-Carnac: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn   —   Follow @GlobalOptimism on social media! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn   —   Don't forget to hit SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss another episode of Outrage + Optimism!