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WORLD NEWS Thursday 9 July 2020
EU bets on clean hydrogen to decarbonize and boost economy

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Frans Timmermans, who is
Associated Press in charge of environmental
The executive branch of issues.
the European Union un- The commission said so-
veiled plans Wednesday called "green hydrogen"
to boost the production of — which does not emit car-
clean hydrogen as part of bon dioxide and can be
its goal to achieve climate used in industries such as
neutrality by 2050 amid steel and chemical manu-
criticism from environmen- facturing that currently rely
tal activists and Green law- on fossil fuels — could meet
makers pushing for a total about a quarter of the
exclusion of hydrogen pro- world's energy demands
duced from fossil fuels. by 2050.
The European Commission The development of clean
said its project would help hydrogen has the potential
the EU's economy recover to reduce carbon emissions
from the coronavirus pan- in European industries by
demic, with investments in 90 million tons per year by
renewable hydrogen ex- 2030, according to the Eu-
pected to reach between ropean Commission.
180 to 470 billion euros In the short-term, though,
($203 to $530 billion) by the other types of low-carbon European Commissioner for European Green Deal Frans Timmermans, left, and European Com-
middle of the century. hydrogen made through missioner for Energy Kadri Simson participate in a media conference at EU headquarters in Brus-
Currently, hydrogen is pro- processes associated with sels, Wednesday, July 8, 2020.
duced almost exclusively emissions will be needed Associated Press
from fossil fuels, including in a transition phase, the
natural gas and coal. It ac- commission said. drogen entirely produced envisions the installation be in charge of developing
counts for less than 2% of "During the transition, we from renewable energy. of at least 40 gigawatts investment for hydrogen
Europe's energy mix. The EU will also need decarbon- The commission's hydrogen of renewable hydrogen projects under the commis-
wants to increase that to ized natural gas, and nu- strategy "must not be al- electrolyzers and the pro- sion's plans. The Greens said
14% by 2050 while decar- clear, too, to make sure we lowed to become a green- duction of renewable hy- they are particularly wor-
bonizing production using reach the required volume washing exercise used drogen reaching up to 10 ried by the prominent role
renewable energy sources of hydrogen to cut prices," to subsidize obsolete gas million tonnes. In compari- given to the "strong repre-
like wind and solar ener- Timmermans said. pipelines," European Parlia- son, about one gigawatt of sentation of gas and heavy
gies. Environmental group ment member Ville Niinistö electrolyzers are currently industry companies" within
"'We need a complete Friends of the Earth Europe said. The commission has installed in the EU. the alliance."We need both
overhaul of the current and Green lawmakers in set the goal to install renew- Green European lawmak- the industry and the NGOs
energy system, which is the EU parliament opposed able hydrogen production ers also expressed concerns which have helped us cre-
quickly becoming a relic the use of low-carbon hy- facilities with a capacity about the composition of ating the Green Deal," Tim-
of the past," said European drogen and called on the of at least 6 gigawatts by the European Clean Hydro- mermans said. "I want them
Commission Vice President commission to focus on hy- 2024. During 2025-2030, it gen Alliance, which would at the table."q
Canada predicts historic deficit due to pandemic spending

OTTAWA (AP) — The Ca- a lifeline to Canadians bat- which paid CDN$2,000
nadian government is pre- tling to stay afloat. (US$1,481) a month to Ca-
dicting a historic CDN$343 "We decided to take on nadians earning less than
billion (US$254 billion) defi- that debt to prevent Ca- CDN$1,000 (US$740) per
cit for 2020-21 resulting from nadians from having to do month because of the
its economic and stimulus it," he told a news confer- economic shutdown. The
plans to battle COVID-19. ence. "I know there are program has paid out
The amount, included in people out there who said CDN$53.5 billion (US39.6 bil-
a fiscal "snapshot" the Lib- we should have done less. lion) in benefits to about 8
eral government released I think that's wrong. Now million Canadians as of late
Wednesday, is a huge is the time for the federal June.
jump from the CDN$28.1 government to step up and Finance Minister Bill Mor-
billion (US$20.8 billion) defi- help Canadians during a neau said without govern-
cit projected prior to the historical crisis." ment action families would
pandemic. The national debt is pro- have been buried in debt.
The report says that since jected to climb to CDN$1.2 "Every investment we made
March, the federal govern- trillion (US$89 billion) while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives for a news conference on was in response to COV-
ment has spent more than the economy is expected the COVID-19 pandemic outside his residence at Rideau Cot- ID-19," he said. "We worked
CDN$231 billion (US$171 bil- to shrink by 6.8 percent. An tage in Ottawa, Thursday, June 18, 2020. to make sure our programs
lion) on health and safety estimated 5.5 million Ca- Associated Press left no one behind and we
measures as well as direct nadians have either lost did it fast." Trudeau said his-
aid to Canadians and busi- their jobs or have seen their gency spending. was at a record low of 5.5% torically low interest rates
nesses. hours reduced. The government expects in January. will make borrowing costs
Prime Minister Justin The debt-to-GDP ratio is ex- unemployment to hit 9.8% One of the federal ben- manageable and allow the
Trudeau defended the pected to rise from 31% to this year then fall to 7.8% efits is the Canada Emer- government to continue to
government's spending as 49% because of the emer- next year. Unemployment gency Response Benefit invest in the economy.q