For a Conservative Environmentalism: Sustainability, Competitiveness, and Pragmatism

Environmental and landscape protection have historically been deeply conservative values. The very concept of “conserving” implies a responsibility as custodians of our land, our nature, and future generations. However, in recent years, European environmental policy has turned into a dogmatic ideology—the so-called Green Deal—which risks deindustrializing Europe and impoverishing its citizens.

It is time to inaugurate a new approach to green policy, replacing catastrophism and state dirigisme with pragmatism, technological neutrality, and the protection of the economic fabric.

The fundamental flaw in current European policies lies in the imposition of unrealistic deadlines and top-down bans, such as the phase-out of internal combustion engines by 2035 or the draconian directives on improving the energy efficiency of homes at the expense of families. This approach does not save the planet—given that Europe accounts for less than 9% of global emissions—but instead hands entire strategic markets over to China and undermines the competitiveness of our small and medium-sized enterprises.

A pragmatic and conservative environmentalism rests on three pillars:

• Technological neutrality: The transition cannot rely exclusively on solar and wind power. It is essential to invest in next-generation nuclear energy, synthetic fuels, biofuels, and biomethane. Europe should not decide in advance which technology will prevail, but rather create the conditions in which research and industry can develop the best solutions.
• Protection of industrial and agricultural sovereignty: European farmers and livestock breeders are not “polluters to be punished,” but the first and most important custodians of the land and the landscape. Green policy must stop undermining European agriculture through bureaucracy in order to favor low-cost foreign products that are not subject to comparable environmental standards.
• Economic growth as a precondition: Only a prosperous and technologically advanced society has the resources to protect the environment. Deindustrialization leads only to poverty and social decline—two conditions that historically contribute to the deterioration of the land rather than its preservation.

Europe must rediscover a balance between environmental protection and the safeguarding of its industrial and agricultural civilization. True sustainability is not about destroying the economy, but about strengthening it through innovation and respect for the identity of our territories.

Giuseppe Arnone.