Feed Planet 67 - Ekim 2024

FEED PLANET • OCTOBER - EKİM 2024 46 en transition. With a total of €648 billion available for mem- ber states to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the RRF aims to earmark at least 37% of funds for climate action. However, the ECA’s analysis raised serious concerns abo- ut the accuracy of reported spending, suggesting that co- untries have overstated their commitments. The auditors estimated that overestimations could reach at least €34.5 billion, highlighting a significant gap between planned and actual contributions to climate goals. One major finding of the ECA report is the absence of stringent requirements for assessing the impact of RRF- funded projects on climate objectives. The report noted, “There is no requirement in the legislation to assess the Facility’s contribution to the EU’s climate objectives, nor report on actual spending, limiting the relevance for stake- holders.” This lack of accountability allows member states to label questionable projects as “green,” undermining the credibility of the RRF’s climate initiatives. For instance, co- untries have classified expenditures such as staff salaries and IT system upgrades as climate-friendly, which raises concerns about the integrity of the classification system and the actual benefits of these projects. Furthermore, the ECA highlighted that tracking climate expenditures often involves approximations, resulting in misleading assessments of their contributions to sustai- nability. Joelle Elvinger, the auditor who led the report, re- marked, “The method ultimately provides little indication of how much money goes directly to the green transition.” The report’s conclusions call for significant improvements in the design and implementation of funding instruments to ensu- re that they effectively support the EU’s climate objectives. As Europe strives to meet its ambitious climate targets by 2030 and 2050, the need for transparency and accounta- bility in the use of funds becomes increasingly crucial. BREAKDOWN OF THE DISCREPANCIES IN REPORTING The discrepancies in reporting climate-related spending under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) are rooted in several key issues identified by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). One primary concern is the vague criteria used by member states to classify projects as “green.” For instance, the ECA found that various expenditures were reported as contributing to climate action despite having minimal or no real environmental benefit. In one striking example, Croatia labeled a digitalization project for its wa- ter supply system as having a 40% climate contribution, a claim the auditors deemed unfounded, stating it should have been rated at 0%. Such examples illustrate a troubling tendency among countries to stretch definitions and mis- represent their spending to meet EU targets. 648 milyar Euroluk bir kaynak sağlayan RRF, fonların en az %37’sini iklim eylemine ayırmayı hedefliyor. Ancak ECA’nın analizi, rapor edilen harcamaların doğruluğu konusunda ciddi şüpheler uyandırdı ve ülkelerin taahhütlerini olduğun- dan fazla gösterdiklerini ortaya koydu. Denetçiler, fazla tah- minlerin en az 34,5 milyar Euro’ya ulaşabileceğini tahmin ederek, iklim hedeflerine planlanan ve gerçekleşen katkılar arasında önemli bir uçurum olduğunu vurguladı. ECA raporunun en önemli bulgularından biri, RRF tara- fından finanse edilen projelerin iklim hedefleri üzerindeki etkisinin değerlendirilmesine yönelik katı gerekliliklerin bulunmaması. Raporda, “Mevzuatta, Programın AB’nin iklim hedeflerine katkısını değerlendirmek ya da fiili harcamaları raporlamak için herhangi bir gereklilik bulunmamakta, bu da paydaşlar için uygunluğu sınırlamaktadır.” denildi. Bu hesap verebilirlik eksikliği, üye devletlerin şüpheli projeleri “yeşil” olarak etiketlemesine imkân tanıyarak RRF’nin iklim girişim- lerinin güvenilirliğini zedeliyor. Örneğin, ülkelerin personel maaşları ve BT sistem yükseltmeleri gibi harcamaları iklim dostu olarak sınıflandırdığı ortaya çıktı. Bu da sınıflandırma sisteminin güvenilirliği ve bu projelerin gerçek faydaları ko- nusunda endişelere yol açıyor. COVER STORY • KAPAK DOSYASI