Spain proposes Energy Minister Ribera for EU Commissioner post

By Belén Carreño

MADRID (Reuters) – Spain has proposed its Energy and Environment Minister Teresa Ribera as a European Union Commissioner, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Ribera has shepherded Spain’s green agenda since 2018, championing a harder, faster transition to a zero-carbon economy, prioritising renewable energy such as solar and wind over gas and nuclear plants, which she advocates phasing out.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s office has sent a formal letter proposing that Ribera, 55, be appointed to the new Commission headed by Ursula von der Leyen, the government spokesman said, confirming an earlier report by state news agency EFE.

The Spanish government and the S&D group of social democrats in the European Parliament will push to give Ribera a broader portfolio beyond climate matters, a source with direct knowledge of the talks told Reuters.

Consolidating a single market for energy and implementing clean tech industry policies could be among the new subjects added to Ribera’s remit, the source added.

Ribera is also expected to vie for one of the Commission’s vice presidencies. The dearth of strong female candidates would pave the way for such an appointment, a source within Ribera’s Socialist Party said.

Since Spain held the EU’s rotating presidency, Ribera was a key figure at the COP28 climate change conference in Dubai, reinforcing her image as one of the fiercest proponents of Europe’s agenda to combat climate change.

Issues such as the nuclear phase-out and the biogas industry generated tension between Ribera and big energy players and business lobbies, while environmental groups criticised the energy plan for not doing enough to tackle climate change.

This post is originally published on INVESTING.

  • Related Posts

    Russia’s claim of emissions in annexed Ukraine regions draws protests at COP29

    By Valerie Volcovici BAKU, Azerbaijan (Reuters) – Russia has included the territories it occupies in Ukraine in its recent greenhouse gas inventory report to the United Nations, drawing protests from…

    Oil prices settle up 1% at 2-week high as Ukraine war intensifies

    By Scott DiSavino (Reuters) -Oil prices climbed about 1% to a two-week high on Friday as the intensifying war in Ukraine this week boosted the market’s geopolitical risk premium. Brent…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    Russia’s claim of emissions in annexed Ukraine regions draws protests at COP29

    • November 23, 2024
    Russia’s claim of emissions in annexed Ukraine regions draws protests at COP29

    Weekly Brief: My Forex Funds Negotiating with CFTC?, Bitcoin Nears $100K, and More

    • November 23, 2024
    Weekly Brief: My Forex Funds Negotiating with CFTC?, Bitcoin Nears $100K, and More

    Oil prices settle up 1% at 2-week high as Ukraine war intensifies

    • November 22, 2024
    Oil prices settle up 1% at 2-week high as Ukraine war intensifies

    COP29 climate summit overruns as $250 billion draft deal stalls

    • November 22, 2024
    COP29 climate summit overruns as $250 billion draft deal stalls

    SEC Fines Webull, Two Broker-Dealers for Compliance Failures

    • November 22, 2024
    SEC Fines Webull, Two Broker-Dealers for Compliance Failures

    SEC Fines Webull, Two Brokers-Dealers for Compliance Failures

    • November 22, 2024
    SEC Fines Webull, Two Brokers-Dealers for Compliance Failures