European Green Deal
The European Green Deal, approved in 2020, is a set of policy initiatives by the European Commission with the overarching aim of making the European Union (EU) climate-neutral in 2050. The plan is to review each existing law on its climate merits, and also introduce new legislation on the circular economy (CE), building renovation, biodiversity, farming and innovation.
The overarching aim of the European Green Deal is for the European Union to become the world’s first “climate-neutral bloc” by 2050. It has goals extending to many different sectors, including construction, biodiversity, energy, transport and food.
The plan includes potential carbon tariffs for countries that don’t curtail their greenhouse gas pollution at the same rate. The mechanism to achieve this is called the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). It also includes:
- a circular economy action plan, The European Commission has released a number of publications on circular economy, including one that requires Member States to carry out activities related to changing their economies into circular economies. The CE has indeed become a key component of the European Green Deal and the Coronavirus Recovery Plan of the Von der Leyen Commission (2019–present), and it was a key component of the Juncker Commission‘s ambition to create a sustainable, low-carbon, resource-efficient, and competitive economy.
- a review and possible revision (where needed) of the all relevant climate-related policy instruments, including the Emissions Trading System,
- a Farm to Fork strategy along with a focus shift from compliance to performance (which will reward farmers for managing and storing carbon in the soil, improved nutrient management, reducing emissions, …),
- a revision of the Energy Taxation Directive which is looking closely at fossil fuel subsidies and tax exemptions (aviation, shipping),
- a sustainable and smart mobility strategy and
- an EU forest strategy. The latter will have as its key objectives effective afforestation, and forest preservation and restoration in Europe.
European Green Deal – Wikipedia
The European Green Deal – The European Commission