LMP: Government climate policy ‘failed’

Under the proposal, greenhouse gas emissions would be cut by 60 percent by 2030, instead of the currently targeted 40 percent, Tetlak told a press conference. Energy consumption would be cut by 25 percent and the ratio of sustainable energy sources would be raised by 40 percent from 21 percent by the same year, he said.

That way, Hungary could be climate neutral by 2045 rather than 2050, he said.

Tetlak, the mayor of Erd near Budapest, also called for a government-subsidised programme to insulate homes with a view of cutting utility and energy consumption. With an investment of 600 billion forints (EUR 1.6bn), at least 100,000 households could be insulated a year, he said.

Tetlak called for banning further battery plants and ending the government’s “car-centered policy”. Further, water management should see a fundamental reform and made independent from the government, and large farmlands should be replaced with small family farms using soil-friendly methods, he said.