The idea of a Green New Deal has been kicking around US politics since at least 2006. The PRI’s report sets out recommendations to ensure that investors can scale up their contribution to the EU Green Deal and sustainability goals more broadly. Each year the analysis makes headlines around the world. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on German politics. If you do not have a login you can register here. Youth climate activists led by Greta Thunberg accused EU Green Deal chief Frans Timmermans of lacking the courage to align the bloc's massive farm subsidies scheme with his own flagship climate goals. Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to Europe and the world. Horizon Europeis the EU's next research and innovation programme starting in 2021. “If you’re looking at a household in 2050, you have a completely transformed set of ways that you cook, heat your home, interact with other human beings, move around and the jobs you do.”. Upfront investments will be needed to switch energy, industry and transport to clean tech. I can only do so much policy,” she said. The European Parliament has called for the entire fund to be boosted to at least €25 billion. Experts are divided on which is worse: climate apocalypse or Netflix show “Emily in Paris.”. Had Corinne Le Quéré been a bit more organized as a teenager, it’s likely she never would have become one of the most influential voices in the fight against climate change. Although that will likely be one of the most contentious aspects of the Green Deal, it is hard to imagine how else the EU could combat carbon leakage, where products that fall foul of environmental regulations if produced in the EU are simply imported from elsewhere, creating the same carbon emissions with none of the economic benefits. POLITICO’s got you covered. The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) — its largest subsidy program — and the Green Deal have some big issues to resolve if they are to work in alignment. T he EU Green Deal is one of the most ambitious priorities of the new European Commission (EC). Finally, you need to know that both of Timmermans’ grandfathers were coal miners. Dezember 2019, 18:53 Uhr Europa: Kritik am "New Green Deal" Detailansicht öffnen. Dimitris Valatsas is the chief economist at Greenmantle. In Europe, the letter concludes, this request is now incorporated into a new political-economic proposal, the Green New Deal for Europe, which makes it a cornerstone of its climate justice program. POLITICO has a quick guide to the EU’s headline project to ensure you can hold your own with the acerbic Dutchman. Just Transition Mechanism:A pot of cash to help deal with the economic fallout from the transition to a cleaner Europe. Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in EU countries plus the U.K. in 2016, in millions of tons of CO2-equivalent: The Green Deal is, in the European Commission’s ponderous vernacular: “a new growth strategy that aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use.”. “You need that long-term view that is independent of the political party, that provides advice, practical advice, on how to move forward,” she said. But in driving its climate agenda, the EU is also taking a leaf out of Trump’s playbook: It suggests a provision for a “carbon border adjustment mechanism”—in other words, a carbon tariff. If it succeeds, the benefits will spread far beyond the borders of Europe. She “drifted” into oceanography “just because it was interesting. Also, the stuff that EU dreams are made of: lots of technical details, lots of politics and lots for MEPs and EU countries to fight about until they strike a deal. Troops After All. Some word about the EU Green Deal. All the cool kids are using it. The aggressive pursuit of decarbonization across the EU will provide the funding support and the economies of scale for innovation in clean technologies. The political fight over the climate targets is about to enter a new phase. Explore the live extension of our journalism, The wonk's survival guide to the EU Green Deal, April 19 — Rewriting the Transatlantic Tech Playbook, April 20 — The coming shakeup of the EU Emissions Trading System, May 18 — POLITICO Virtual Interview: In Conversation With Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, The Wonk’s Survival Guide to the European Green Deal, Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe, Creating a ‘better normal’, not just a ‘new normal’, Tim Brett, president of Coca-Cola Western Europe. In a live webcast in July, Pictet Asset Management’s co-head of clean energy Xavier Chollet explained that one reason why the EU Green Deal has transformed into a large economic stimulus is because of the Covid-19 health crisis. To do so, it first needs to shed any illusions that climate action is going to be a cooperative process in which the world harmoniously decarbonizes. By driving the economy toward carbon neutrality, EU climate policymaking can prove as much for others. So when he says there needs to be a “just transition, or there will just be no transition” (and he will), it’s because it’s close to his heart. Becoming a scientist happened “accidentally,” she said. These days, when Le Quéré needs a break from getting politicians to look seriously at climate change, she doesn’t turn to sports. It is a package of measures that aims to radically cut emissions of greenhouse gases while creating jobs in clean industries. The Commission’s Green Deal also includes elements of European policy that are unlikely to be welcomed in some member states: it wants to tap into its own revenue streams for climate protection and questions the principle of unanimity where taxation is concerned. It’s a sign that concern over climate change has migrated from the margins to the heart of EU policymaking. But she’s used climate as a bargaining chip to win over left-leaning groups, and has made the Green Deal the centerpiece of her presidency. One can be a cynic about politicians and expediency, but in this case, the shift in perceptions is real. The European Green Deal (minus the word “new’ with its radical overtones) is not yet one year old. But it will inspire a legislative firestorm. Here’s an alternative. The context of the EU Green Deal. Kritik am "New Green Deal" 4. The CAP is built on principles, such as maximizing productivity, which may conflict with green goals to use more land for burying carbon. Was allowed into the European Parliament in Brussels in April, despite a coronavirus-inspired ban on access to the building. It might be best to avoid the subject of agriculture altogether. Not doing that could thwart the goals of the European Green Deal. Climate Law:The legislation meant to make the bloc’s 2050 goal of slashing greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero legally binding. France has seen four environment ministers since the current government took office three years ago, and London has kept up a similar pace of rotation. But that slim size conceals a big punch. How Far Will the Ethiopian-Eritrean Alliance Go? An impact assessed plan will also be presented to increase the EU's greenhouse gas emission reductions target for 2030 to at least 50% and towards 55% compared with 1990 levels. Latest news, analysis and comment on defense in Europe and beyond. Meeting Timmermans’ proposed 2030 stepping stone on the way to 2050 — a 55 percent cut in emissions compared to 1990 levels — will require an additional €82 billion to €147 billion in spending every year. According to the Commission, it will focus on “the regions, industries and workers who will face the greatest challenges.” Rejected names believed to have included “Money for Polish Coal Miners Mechanism” and “(Not) Just (Any Old) Transition Mechanism.”, Paris Agreement: Global climate pact that has its eyes firmly fixed on mid-century, when experts say humans need to all but eliminate greenhouse-gas emissions to avoid the worst effects of global warming. Can the EU’s call to climate action actually have an impact? Under a European Council proposal, Germany, with its large coal industry, was slated to receive the second-largest share of the pie, despite being one of the bloc’s wealthiest countries. A prize-winning climate scientist, she’s an adviser on climate policy to both the French and British governments. Timmermans is sure to tell you that the deal is intended to be Europe’s “new growth strategy.”, But it’s about more than that. It attracted my attention,” she said. An diesen Aufgaben wirkt ein breites Spektrum von Interessenträgern mit, darunter Regionen und die Zivilgesellschaft. If the EU succeeds in its ambitions, it will be able to tell the world that prosperity is not incompatible with climate sustainability. If the world isn’t careful, renewable energy could become as By logging in, you confirm acceptance of our POLITICO Privacy Policy. For many years, Le Quéré was the lead author of the Global Carbon Budget, a report by a group of scientists that looks at the latest state of research on the carbon budget and sources of emissions. Campaigning, lobbying and political influence in the EU. But by being the first major economy to take the plunge, Europe has decided to pay the high costs of early adoption for the uncertain promise that it will benefit others in the future. Because of the size of its market, the EU has substantial clout to drive its climate agenda through trade. The controversy will extend way beyond climate targets. After all, the EU accounts for only 10 percent of global emissions—and any gains made there would be more than wiped out elsewhere. To reach this 2050 goal, action will be required by all sectors of our economy, including: investing in environmentally-friendly technologies; supporting … Just Transition Fund: Yet another part of the Just Transition Mechanism. The Green Deal is no longer the hazy aspiration of a few climate action enthusiasts; it is a detailed mainstream policy document affecting every sector in one of the richest, most sophisticated economies in the world. destructive as fossil fuels. Timed to come out during the annual global COP climate talks, the report has often informed the agenda in the battle against global warming. Current climate policy approaches are ill-suited for these regimes. Exasperated by the arduous negotiations, two EU members recently resorted to unusual means: Both the French and Spanish governments sent letters to the EU. Beyond 2030, the additional investments are 1 percent to 2 percent of GDP, about €4.6 trillion between 2031 and 2050. Finally, to be successful, the EU will need to use its economic size and influence in trade and foreign policy if it is to drive climate action worldwide. EIB public sector loan facility: One of the three parts (or pillars, if you prefer) of the Just Transition Mechanism (see below). Green Deal, Greener World... Last week, the European Commission issued its “Communication on the European Green Deal”—the European Union’s legislative roadmap to carbon neutrality by 2050. Which begs the question: Why don’t we just shut down Germany? When presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt promised a “New Deal” for a depression-struck U.S. in 1932, he didn’t really have a plan. The modern European version is just a year old and still in its early stages. During the coronavirus pandemic economic activity slowed, causing a reduction in carbon emissions but leaving the EU facing recession. Le Quéré chairs France’s High Council on Climate and is a member of the U.K. Committee on Climate Change — both independent scientific advisory bodies set up to keep government climate policy on track. Next year, instead of arguing over whether the EU should cut emissions by 55 percent, countries will fight over who must shoulder the most burden. All of those emissions have to flatline in only three decades. The distribution of the €17.5 billion Just Transition Fund will also be deeply contested. This package of measures has far-reaching implications, not only for European consumers and businesses, but also for suppliers and markets globally. Finally, the EU sees climate change as an issue that allows it to play the role of a global power — pestering the U.S. to rejoin the Paris Agreement, making deals with China and pressing other countries to also boost their climate pledges. Most of today’s greenhouse gases come from power production and transportation, but there are also significant contributions from industry, commercial and residential fuel combustion and agriculture. Recent history shows how impactful such investment can be: The final cost of solar photovoltaic installations has declined by over 70 percent since 2010. The Green Deal takes a carrot-and-stick approach. Only seven years later, that is down to 30 percent, with the Asia-Pacific region (including China) now accounting for over half of installed capacity. Also, none of this factors in the economic costs of inaction of climate change, which are devastating. Those 24 pages lay out a radical project to make the EU climate neutral by 2050 — that means the world’s second-largest economy will stop adding to the earth’s stock of greenhouse gases by then. He’ll have to find a way to get the auto industry to institute radical new emissions standards for cars and trucks, and accept that they will soon be subject to Europe’s carbon pricing system. Circular economy: The Commission’s “Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe” is one of the main thrusts of the Green Deal. “We had, on the one hand, protecting our health and on the other, protecting our economy. Not to be confused with Hans Brusselmans. As Europe increases its climate ambitions, “we expect the rest of the world to play its role too,” an EU official explained. InvestEU: Sounds like the subject line of an email from a wayward royal telling you there are millions of dollars unclaimed in a Western Union account and he can help you get it out — all he needs is a small cash advance or a bank account number to complete the wire transfer! It’s bad. Von der Leyen, Ursula: There was precious little in the German’s pre-Commission career that hinted at a future pushing tough climate targets. It’s a grand (or grandiose) vision for what Timmermans’ boss European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calls an economy and politics “that is more caring.”, Success would result in a Europe that has been “tailored and re-engineered in a way that it that keeps you safe,” says Johanna Lehne, a policy adviser at the E3G think tank. InvestEU is an umbrella term for EU funding schemes, with the Green Deal cash being just one of many. Read more. The cornerstone of the Green Deal is the EU Climate Law which will enshrine the objective of carbon neutrality by 2050. Where to start? Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on French politics. In-depth reporting, data and actionable intelligence for policy professionals – all in one place. That will enshrine the goal to reach net zero emissions in 2050 into law, plus a host of measures to achieve it. The failure of the Kyoto Protocol and the intended U.S. withdrawal from the Paris agreement amply demonstrate that decarbonization cannot rely on multilateralism alone. Parliament wants the Green Deal to be at the core of the EU’s Covid-19 recovery package. Fear not! The EU is doing the same thing for sustainable living here on Earth. Providing communities that are built on carbon-spewing industries with meaningful, dignified alternatives is one of the toughest — and most expensive — challenges the deal will face. Here's how. To overcome these challenges, Europe needs a new growth strategy that transforms the Union into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases. Once elected, he canvassed and experimented widely and brought in surprising thinkers and ideas. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on the continent. That’s about half a percentage point of the EU’s GDP. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers in Europe. Horizon Europe, in synergy with other EU programmes, will be key to leveraging national public and private investment. Social Sharing. That’s causing anxiety in coal-dependent economies like Poland, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, as well as in capitals around Europe, which will need to start addressing emissions in tough places like their building stock, trucks fleets and steel plants. Beyond that, expect the coming year to see a flurry of new regulations, plans and changes to EU law: strategies for agriculture, hydrogen, building renovation, offshore wind energy, methane pollution, sustainable investment, the circular economy and a litany of others are all working their way through the Brussels bureaucracy. The European Green Deal is a set of policy initiatives by the European Commission with the overarching aim of making Europe climate neutral in 2050. The second way in which the Green Deal could succeed is by lowering the costs of the energy transition for everyone. Why hydrogen is no magic solution for EU Green Deal. That effort to use science to nudge policymakers also underpins Le Quéré’s work in France and the U.K. “It’s actually an essential role to have an independent advisory body like [the ones she sits on], because governments come and go … ministers in particular, there is a very, very rapid rotation,” Le Quéré said. After a virtual meeting with him earlier Tuesday, the 18-year-old Thunberg and three fellow campaigners said they told Timmermans he should withdraw the Commission's proposal … To succeed, the EU must embrace climate unilateralism. The fund is there to help “support the economic diversification and reconversion of the territories concerned” — and, one suspects, because it wouldn’t be the EU if there weren’t two things that sound the same but aren’t quite the same. But the EU is a long way behind China, Japan and the U.S. when it comes to tapping its potential. Moreover, the deal’s long but still visible horizon—slightly longer than one generation—means that this goal is technically achievable while still addressing activists’ concerns. The report is part of a research programme run by the PRI throughout 2019 and early 2020, drawing from interviews with investors and the PRI’s own programmatic research. Together they will foster new technologies, sustainable solutions and disruptive innovation and spread successful new sol… Given how popular the climate agenda is in Western Europe, it seems likely that the EU will commit to this rule. But the climate targets she’s proposing would be too little too late. China’s Vaccine Diplomacy Has Mixed Results. But that slim size conceals a big punch. Europe’s Green Deal Is Great, Unless It’s a Backdoor to a Planned Economy . If implemented successfully, it will enable Europe to play a leading role in redefining how the world achieves sustainable economic …