1/ Today it’s European election day in The Netherlands and the UK (for most other member states it's Sunday). I know it's easy to be anti-EU these days, but the reality is that Europe can play a leading role in tackling some of the biggest global challenges.
2/ If you liked my speech in Davos about taxes, taxes, taxes - then you can’t afford to be anti-EU. Vote for a party that wants to synchronise the corporate tax rate, and crack down on tax paradises.
3/ If you think climate change is the greatest threat to our species - then you can’t afford to be anti-EU. Most climate policies are made in Brussels, and for good reason. Vote for a party that advocates more ambitious climate targets.
4/ We should treat the European Union as any political body, not be for or against it - but judge from the results. And even though they don’t get a lot of press, some of those results are pretty impressive.
5/ Take the European Ecodesign Directive. Sounds boring, I know. But it’s amazing. The directive is responsible for an enormous reduction of 496 megaton in CO2-emissions – and that’s just for Europe. (h/t @jessefrederik)
6/ Remember that European laws can have *global* implications, because multinational companies can’t afford to produce different televisions, dishwashers, etc. for every continent. Vote for more sustainable refrigerators here, and the US may get them as well.
7/ Yes, there’s a lot that needs to be reformed about the EU (don't even get me started on the euro and the Greek debt crisis!), but one thing’s for sure: we need more cooperation in Europe, not less. Go vote!
