The Hungarian Government exacerbates the migration crisis

The government of Hungary is well aware of the fact that climate change is one of the main causes of the migration crisis. Therefore, their often-repeated statement that they are protecting Europe from migration will sound deceiving if they vote against the climate protection measures next Monday on the EU energy ministers’ meeting. Clean Air Action Group has brought this to the attention of Miklós Seszták, Minister of National Development, in a letter.

The Paris Agreement’s target, i.e. keeping the global temperature increase below 1.5°C, requires that each ratifying country – Hungary included - implement radical energy policy reforms. However, the draft legislation which will be presented to the ministers on December 18th, 2017 is outdated, and it reflects a vision which is not sufficient for the achievement of the climate protection goals. If the draft legislation will be approved in its current form, then the shift to renewable energies will not happen in the required pace, and the indispensable transition of the energy system to achieve climate protection goals will not take place.

On the meeting next Monday, the ministers of several countries will submit much stricter proposals, which comply better with the Paris Agreement. According to Clean Air Action Group’s information, Hungary is not among these countries; to the contrary, Hungary will encourage the dilution of the proposal.

Many, including the President of Hungary, János Áder, have been drawing attention to the fact that climate change is one of the root causes of the migration crisis, and it is increasingly becoming its main cause. According to the UN, between 2008 and 2015 more than 200 million people were forced to leave their homes because of natural disasters, which is a significant increase compared to the previous decades. According to the UN’s forecasts the number of asylum seekers is might multiply in the upcoming years due to climate change.

Translated by Katalin Tarr