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Add to Preferred Sources? 22 April 2021 ? 12: 30- 13:30 CEST
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European Commission President von der Leyen’s biggest policy priority is the transition to a greener economy. She has described her European Green Deal proposal as Europe’s growth strategy. The Commission’s overarching climate ambition is to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. To reach this goal, the European Commission is proposing a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (compared to 1990) by 2030. The European Parliament has even called for a 60% reduction.
While some argued at the outset of the current pandemic that the European Green Deal should be watered down, the EU quickly agreed that the economic recovery and the green transition must go hand-in-hand. As a consequence, there is a real green dimension to the agreed recovery package, as well as to the EU’s new 7-year financial framework agreement. These agreements now need to be implemented and realized on the ground, at the same time as the European Green Deal becomes more and more concrete. The European Green Deal and the unprecedented efforts to ensure a sustainable recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic provide an opportunity for meaningful public action on air quality and other dimensions of environmental policy. If this “window of opportunity” is missed, air pollution will continue unabated to cause thousands of premature deaths and billions in economic damage. The European Commission has acknowledged this and will soon present its proposals for the way forward on air, water, and soil.
Public consultation on the European Commission’s Zero Pollution Action Plan concluded earlier this year. The European Commission is now analyzing the feedback received from the various stakeholder groups. It aims to publish the new Action Plan on 18 May 2021. This event will provide an opportunity to discuss the role of innovation and green technology moving forward, what Europe’s green industrial champions require in order to make a substantial contribution to the Zero Pollution Action Plan, and how business, civil society, and policymakers can work together on its implementation.
Original Source: environmentalinnovation.eu