Europe's Green Deal: An Economic Imperative, Not a Burden

[Celerity]

Abandoning climate ambition would forfeit Europe's competitive advantage in the trillion-euro green technology market.

https://www.socialeurope.eu/europes-green-deal-an-economic-imperative-not-a-burden



The European Green Deal—and with it climate policy and the forthcoming Circular Economy Act—has faced mounting criticism in recent months, primarily from right-wing political parties. It almost feels as if “climate mitigation” has become a dirty word. We fear that economic miscalculations, lobby interests, timidity and tactical retreat risk causing Europe to abandon the socioeconomic transformation it sought to lead only a few years ago. Should this happen, it would represent a massive economic and social loss—not only for Europe but for the world.

The main critique centres on a misunderstood concept of European industrial competitiveness and the cost of living for European citizens. Critics suggest that ambitious climate and environmental policies will hurt both European businesses and consumers. In reality, the opposite is true, provided the EU implements the core components of the policies underpinning the Green Deal. We must remember that Europe is a continent with a large and vulnerable population and landscape. Population density ranks among the highest globally. Furthermore, Europe stands among the continents most severely impacted by climate change. Southern Europe already suffers badly from extreme weather events—unprecedented heatwaves, droughts and flooding—while food production faces serious threats.

The biosphere—our life-supporting system—forms the foundation of our economies in all their various forms. Without a thriving environment, there can be no thriving economy. The terrifying numbers on biodiversity loss, land degradation and water stress—alongside accelerating global warming—send strong warning signals of impending economic losses, societal breakdown, climate-induced refugee flows and political upheaval. We simply cannot continue pushing the evidence aside and avoiding confrontation with vested interests that block decisive action. We must assume responsibility as European citizens, both for the immediate impacts and for the long-term consequences of an increasingly unstable climate and degraded ecosystems.

The pragmatic path forward

The policy measures proposed within the Green Deal are both sensible and pragmatic. The overall objective seeks to curb greenhouse gas emissions while reducing costs and pressure on nature. The benefits for society emerge distinctly and clearly. First, the risk of accelerating climate change diminishes. Second, pressure on nature and natural resources lessens. Third, the quality of air, soil and water improves, while city environments become cleaner, quieter and more liveable overall. Avoiding damages and costs for European citizens and economies represents an important goal of the Green Deal, but this is not the only benefit for our societies. What critics often short-sightedly underestimate is the value of transforming European manufacturing into green technology leadership.

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