The UN Climate Panel emphasizes it again and again – we have no time to waste! Our environment, nature and biodiversity are under pressure, and we are far from slowing down harmful climate change. There is a serious need for political action if we are to make amends. Nevertheless, the EU's industry lobby succeeds time and again in watering down and delaying ambitious climate and environmental legislation.

Most recently, industry pressure has caused the level of ambition in the EU's upcoming packaging regulation to be significantly weakened. In the leaked version of the regulation, there were targets for the share of takeaway beverage packaging that can be washed and reused to be 30 percent by 2030 rising to 95 percent by 2040. If recycling systems are put together properly, there no doubt that they both save resources, water and CO2 and spare nature from large amounts of waste. A fact which, by the way, is supported by both Danish Industry and the Plastic Industry here at home. Ambitious objectives in the area are therefore absolutely essential for the development of the market.

Nevertheless, the EU's industry lobby succeeded in watering down the targets in the final version of the Commission's proposal, so that the targets now read 20 percent in 2030 rising to 80 percent in 2040. Massive pressure from the industry must allow them to continue producing huge amounts of single-use packaging. Packaging that ends up in our nature and marine environment in a big way. Approx. half of all man-made waste in the world's oceans is single-use plastic packaging from takeaway food and drinks.

The press has now made the European Parliament's rapporteur on legislation recommend that the objectives be removed entirely. It is justified by the fact that the environmental benefits of recycling takeaway packaging are too uncertain. It is completely wrong, and no serious scientific evidence is presented for that claim either. Reference is made only to a statement from the Association of Beverage Manufacturers in the EU (UNESDA), whose members include Coca-Cola and Nestlé, while the source of their statement is conspicuous by its absence.

In the same way, we recently saw i.a. the cosmetics lobby completely delayed the legislation on intentionally added microplastics when they were given years-long transition periods of up to 12 years to remove microplastics from make-up, lip and nail products. In connection with the same legislative complex, both the tire and recycling industry and our own environment minister argued that it is fully justified to continue to allow car tire granules with harmful chemicals on artificial grass pitches, as long as a number of preventive measures are set up. A point of view primarily based on a single study from Silkeborg, which has not even been scientifically validated yet, and goes against what the EU's scientific risk assessment committee, RAC, has assessed. Fortunately, there was no support from the other member states of the EU to preserve car tire granules in artificial grass pitches, but the industry succeeded in getting an already long phasing-out period extended, so that it is a full 8 years.

So, dear politicians – can't we agree that legislation must be based on science and not on the special financial interests of skilled lobbyists! There is really no time to waste in relation to the enormous climate, nature and environmental challenges that we are facing. There is solid scientific evidence that they call for an ambitious political effort now and here – not in 8, 10 or 12 years!

The debate contribution was also brought to the Alting and was written by Lone Mikkelsen, Senior Advisor at the Green Transition Denmark, Mette Hoffgaard Ranfelt, Chief Environmental Policy Advisor at the Danish Nature Conservation Association and Malene Høj Mortensen, Public Affairs specialist in Plastic Change.