Today, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) joined a group of twenty organisations – led by Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Europe – to send a Declaration to European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella.
The Green 10, of which HEAL is part of, has written a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, to express their concern about the nomination of the Dutch Designate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra as Climate Commissioner:
“We are highly sceptical that Wopke Hoekstra possesses the required credentials and expertise to lead on this critical portfolio, which includes a number of upcoming critical processes. Our concerns
are based on:
his lack of expertise on EU climate policy,
his lack of experience of climate diplomacy at UNFCCC level,
his record of both having worked in the private sector for Shell, a multinational oil and gas company,
his performance in public roles. This last includes providing 3.4 billion EUR in support to the aviation company KLM during the COVID19 crisis as Dutch Minister of Finance and as a leader of the CDA party,
and abandoning government objectives to reduce nitrogen emissions to bring them in line with EU obligations.”
Read the full letter here