The Green New Deal and the Requirements of the Politics with Regards to the Construction Industry

Interview with the EU parliamentarian Reinhard Buetikofer on the VDMA General Assembly 2011 in Bremen. Topic: The Green new deal and the requirements of the the politics with regard to the construction industry
Translation:
At the general meeting of the VDMA (German Engineering Federation) in November 2011, in Bremen, the political guidelines for building machines were a central issue
Among notable representatives of the industry, Reiner Bütikhofer, deputy chairman of the Green EU fraction, has stated his political concept under the slogan “Green New Deal”.
He lends a famous model for his platform. During the depression, former American president Franklin D. Roosevelt set under the concept “New Deal” a package of measures meant to boost the economy, to change the monetary policy and to restore the social system. For instance, as with 1933, more then 20 dams were built in order to prevent flooding and supply underserved regions with electricity. With his historical lead, Bütikhofer means to pursue reinforced innovative principles and to add on a contemporary direction of impact.
Reinhard Bütikhofer, Member of the European Parliament:
“This is why „green” stands before „new deal“. Because we additionally have to deal with the challenge of climate change and we also try to develop an economic policy that says: economic dynamics, competitiveness, social participation, more jobs but solving environmental issues too can be brought under the same hat; as opposed to lack of, it is better to advance based on sustainability, competitiveness and economic development.”
In the sense of the climate change, Bütikhofer emphasized the obligation to reduce pollutant emissions. And he saw the incentive here not only in building machines manufacturers and operators alone.
Reinhard Bütikhofer, Member of the European Parliament:
„Politics must essentially ensure that the conditions applicable to markets would not sanction but promote innovation, they would take responsibilities seriously, they would give a chance to the small and medium-sized enterprises rather then watch them being crushed by the few big ones or the oligopolies.
From an ecological point of view I would proudly say: had we, as Eco’s always waited for the industries warnings, then Germany would be industrially worse today, since this challenge was actually used by the industry; had you only allowed your engineers to act instead of just relying on your lobbyists.”
Bütikhofer expects high innovation potential in the medium-sized enterprises; and for good reason.
Reinhard Bütikhofer Member of the European Parliament:
“The small and medium-sized businesses sector needs to be fast, it should step ahead, take a new risk and it should be taken care for that it is being made as easy as possible to them.”
The members of the VDMA regarded themselves as politically taken into account in Bütikhofers statements to the small and medium-sized business sector. But they pointed in emphasizing that further tightening of the emission standards at high development costs should attain only minor successes in environmental protection.
Source: Bauforum24
Translated by Ioana Giurgiuman – Constructionshows