The European Union (EU) is faced with various sustainability problems, including loss of biodiversity, rapidly altered ecosystems, increasing environmental pollution, fast-paced climate change, rise in sea levels, extreme weather conditions, and so on. These challenges raise the need for the EU to create a strategy for sustainability tagged the European Green Deal (EGD).
What is European Green Deal?
The European Green Deal (EDG) is simply a sustainability roadmap designed by the EU to achieve a greener and cleaner environment. It is also aimed at creating a smarter transportation system, more affordable energy, and an all-round better quality of life. The EDG features both a climate and economic package aimed at making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 while also making economic success.
EDG sustainability plan was officially adopted on December 11, 2019, and contains a structure that aims to run till 2050, achieving various goals. The strategies include improved European laws, collective economic transformation, and reviewed energy and climate policies.
Primary Goals of the European Green Deal
The European Green Deal includes goals and milestones that are targeted to be achieved before the year 2050. These goals include;
- Complete eradication of greenhouse gas emissions (net zero emissions)
- Every person and region is included in the transformation process
- Creating a European economy with maximum resource efficiency
What Are the Core Areas of the European Green Deal?
The European Green Deal takes an all-encompassing approach that touches all core areas that affect both climate and economy. These core areas include;
- Research and Development
- Net zero toxins and pollution
- Sustainable, smart, and green transportation system
- Seamless transitioning into the circular economy
- Green, clean, reliable, and sustainable energy
- Sustainable farm approach (Farm to fork)
- Restoration, preservation, and conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem
- Focus on climate neutrality
- Sustainable and resource-efficient construction and renovation
Key Milestones Since the Adoption of the European Green Deal
The European union have achieved significant towards achieving the EGD goals since its launch in 2019. Below are some of the most significant milestones recorded.
January 2020: Barely a month after the EGD presentation, the European Parliament approved the plan with requests for improvement in certain areas.
May 2020: The “Next Generation EU” program presented EU budget and Covid-19 emergency aid with 25% dedicated to climate protection
July 2020: Modification of the basic rules guiding sustainable investments (“Taxonomy”)
May 2021: Unveiling the Zero Pollution Action Plan
July 2021: Introduction and enforcement of the European Climate Force (ECF). The ECF program aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and a notable reduction in the level of greenhouse gases by 2030.
March 2022: The EU moved for joint action for sustainable, secure, and renewable energy, tagged “REPowerEU.”
December 2022: Presentation and establishment of the Climate Social Fund together with an outright ban on deforestation-linked goods.
March 2023: The adoption of a green project targeted at reducing energy consumption by up to 38% by 2030
October 2023: The presentation of the Revised Renewable Energy Directive with increased target for renewables in energy consumption to 45% by 2030
November 2023: The deciding vote by the European parliament agreeing to restore ecosystems on about 20% of land and sea areas that belongs to the EU
December 2023: Actionable Revision of electricity market rules
Conclusion
The European Green Deal is a work in progress with incredible prospects. The project is hoped to bring significant results in the long run. However, the EU is still putting in a lot of work to revise and improve the existing plan for even better results.
