Europe’s Green Deal

With its “Green Deal”, the European Union European Union In 1957, the Federal Republic was one of the six founder members of the current European Union (EU). Since 2013, the EU has consisted of 28 member states and the euro is the official tender in 19 of them. Germany contributes about 20% to the EU budget. Günther Oettinger (CDU), the former Prime… Read more › has set itself a far-reaching goal: Europe is to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. This means that the aim is to emit no more greenhouse gases than the ecosystems are able to absorb naturally. The plan for 2030 is to achieve a reduction of at least 55 percent in net greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas emissions Roughly two thirds of global warming caused by humans (anthropogenic) can be attributed to carbon dioxide emissions. The gas is produced when the fossil fuels gas, oil and coal are burned. They all contain carbon which combines with atmospheric oxygen to form carbon dioxide. In addition to carbon… Read more › compared to 1990. The Green Deal also provides for such things as the planting of three billion additional trees by 2030. The aim is to enable future generations to lead a better and healthier life. So the project presented by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen when she took office in December 2019 is not just a master plan for the next few years: it seeks to modernise Europe in a sustainable and social way over the next three decades. It is the Commission’s response to the growing risks confronting EU economies as a result of climate change and species extinction.

At its heart, the Green Deal is a new growth strategy. The basic idea is simple: A large part of Europe’s economic output relies on preserving our natural resources, which include water, air and the soil as well as forests, oceans and a stable climate. Pre-emptive action is the best way to secure prosperity in the future, too. The Green Deal therefore prioritizes green technologies and a sparing approach to nature. The objective is to sever the link between economic growth and the use of resources, while at the same time creating new jobs. The countless initiatives in the framework of the project also give companies the requisite security in their planning and lay the foundations for a more crisis-resilient EU. 

Video: The European Green Deal

Sustainability as the principle underlying the European Union European Union In 1957, the Federal Republic was one of the six founder members of the current European Union (EU). Since 2013, the EU has consisted of 28 member states and the euro is the official tender in 19 of them. Germany contributes about 20% to the EU budget. Günther Oettinger (CDU), the former Prime… Read more › is not new. However, the Green Deal goes even further: It supports and accelerates the restructuring that is already in motion and turns it into a comprehensive concept for the future. The plan factors in all areas of the economy and society, from industry, trade, transport and agriculture to biodiversity, our natural heritage, the circular economy, and structural change. As key levers in the transformation process, taxation and finances will in future, so the plan, be brought to bear according to green criteria.

In the form of the Paris Climate Treaty, the European Union European Union In 1957, the Federal Republic was one of the six founder members of the current European Union (EU). Since 2013, the EU has consisted of 28 member states and the euro is the official tender in 19 of them. Germany contributes about 20% to the EU budget. Günther Oettinger (CDU), the former Prime… Read more › also committed to limiting global warming to well under two degrees and, if possible, to 1.5°C. The Green Deal outlines in the form of specific strategies and measures what Europe’s contribution to this will look like. In this way, the EU seeks to set a credible example and thus woo other players and like-minded allies at the international level.