Viktor Orbán Calls for a Climate Policy Guided by Common Sense

Our climate policy must be guided by careful consideration and common sense, not ideology, excessive alarmism or panic, said the Hungarian Prime Minister, speaking among more than 40 heads of state and government at the United Nations’ annual climate change conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Viktor Orbán recalled that at last week’s informal EU summit in Budapest, European leaders adopted a new declaration on competitiveness, that will also shape the EU’s approach to climate change: “Our mission is to make Europe more competitive and this is the vision with which we approach climate protection. He added: “We are proud that Hungary has been one of the few countries in the world in recent years to improve its economic performance in parallel with emission reductions.”

The politician underlined that

in this process we cannot sacrifice our industry or agriculture; we must continue the green transition while continuing to use natural gas, oil and nuclear energy.

He stressed that the price of climate change cannot be paid by farmers, who are “the backbone of our economy and society.”

The green transition and the fight against climate change should be done in partnership with the business community, not against it, the prime minister noted. He stressed the need for clear financial guarantees and substantial investment, and for big business to contribute fairly to climate action.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and UN Secretary-General António Guterres (L-R) Photo: MTI/Azertac

Turning to Hungary, he said:

We are positioning ourselves to be a major player in the development of electric vehicles and in electricity storage. We will continue to invest in our already strong nuclear industry, increasing its share to 70 percent of our total electricity demand.”

He also added that “geographically, we play a key role in energy transit between East and West.”

Group photo at the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Photo: MTI/Azertac

“Hungary stands out as having the lowest residential utility prices in Europe, while achieving one of the highest green energy expansions in recent years,” he pointed out. The country is also a leader in economically sustainable climate protection and ranks fourth among EU countries in reducing carbon dioxide emissions per unit of energy produced. Looking ahead, he said: “We have set even more ambitious targets for 2030. We are aiming for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 50 percent, not 40 percent.”

“By working together, we can balance ambition with pragmatism, making Europe a global leader in the fight against climate change, in compromise with the prosperity of our industry and agriculture,” Mr. Orbán concluded.

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