Commission launches European Green Deal for a more sustainable future
In December, the European Commission published its much-anticipated European Green Deal, a framework communication outlining the Commission’s plan to ensure Europe embarks on a more sustainable path, decouples resource use from economic growth, and reaches net zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050.
It foresees a revision of current approaches to a wide range of policy areas, including clean energy supply across the economy, industry, production and consumption, large-scale infrastructure, transport, food and agriculture, construction and taxation.
The roadmap encompasses the existing EU commitments for climate neutrality, including the announcement of the very first European Climate Law. The objective of this law is to increase the EU’s greenhouse gas emission reductions target for 2030 to 50-55%.
The publication of a new Circular Economy Action Plan was also confirmed as part of the European Green Deal. CEAP, as well as an Industrial Strategy for Europe, are to be launched in March to support lead markets for climate neutral and circular products. The industrial strategy focuses on how to decarbonise energy-intensive industry sectors such as cement, steel and chemicals production. The new circular economy action plan is set to focus on other resource intensive sectors, such as textiles, construction, electronics and plastics. In support of this, a dedicated sustainable products policy is to be developed in order to support the circular design of products.
The European Green Deal will provide the framework for environmental action throughout the Commission’s entire mandate and ECOS is looking forward to help shape ambitious regulations and standards that can deliver on climate neutrality, more resource sobriety and circular economy objectives.
