More and more citizens are becoming concerned with climate change and the protection of the environment. The increased pressure on politicians has caused the EU to draft up a comprehensive concept that is supposed to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by the year 2050. That means every individual state is making a pledge to remove just as much carbon emissions as has produced. This ambitious goal requires a multitude of measures for politics and economics while on an extremely tight time schedule.
Contents:
- Plans for Europe
- Points of focus
- Biodiversity strategy
- Future of mobility
- Green Deal and production
- Future of energy supply
- Building and renovating
December 2019: A new president of the European Commission and her extensive plans for Europe
Eleven days after taking office as the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen introduced the new “Green Deal”, a pan-European climate package. In her speech she stressed that this was a way for the union to actively combat the challenges of climate change. The plan included a fundamental overhaul of economics to achieve an environmentally sustainable growth. In order to reach this goal, all 27 countries and all sectors of economy would have to work hand in hand. Apart from trade, this would also concern agriculture, transportation as well as energy and building sectors. An important step on the way is a corresponding draft bill that was to be presented within the president’s first 100 days in office. This European climate law should be the “heart” of the Green Deal’s legally binding foundations, meaning all measures would be “irreversible”. The year 2030 is going to be guide value and a milestone on the timetable. Until then, greenhouse gas emissions shall be reduced between 50 to 55 percent compared to the year 1990.
The most important points of the climate pact
A central goal of the new European Green Deal is to create an environment without pollutants, but still achieve sustainable economic growth. This goal shall be reached by:
- Conservation and restoration of existing ecosystems
- A healthier and fairer food supply, “from farm to fork”
- Intelligent and sustainable public transport
- Sustainable economics
- Clean and safe energy supply
- Building or renovating while preserving resources and energy
Healthy environment and richness in species – 2030 EU biodiversity strategy
Ursula von der Leyen calls an intact biodiversity the core of the entire Green Deal concept. By 2030 at the latest Europe’s environment should be on its way to ecologic recovery. The Biodiversity Strategy allots 30 percent of protection zones each on land and in the ocean as well as planting three billion trees. It is expected that strengthening of biological agriculture and conservation of endangered insects can be made possible by cutting the use of pesticides in half. The “from farm to fork” approach concentrates on local producers and consumers to promote environmental friendliness. The so-called “renaturation” will cover agriculture, forestry as well as the building sector. The yearly capital expenditure requirements will be about 20 billion Euros. For most of us, this sounds like an unimaginably huge amount of money, however experts have determined that economic and social costs for society would be even greater if no strategies and laws will be put in place at all. Natural disasters, drastically decreased harvests from the land and sea as well as exhaustion of soil would undoubtedly become frequent occurrences in that case.
Environmentally conscious travel and sustainable logistics: The future of mobility
The term “mobility transformation“ has long been used even before the new European Green Deal. This action plan prioritizes environmentally friendly mobility concepts above all else. Despite the ever-growing traffic volume all over Europe emissions in this sector shall be reduced up to 90 percent compared to the year 1990 by 2050. One of the measures will be to move transportation of cargo from the streets to rail or ship. Digitisation is another focal point. This means new intelligent solutions need to be found for public and private traffic. Electric mobility and its infrastructure will play a major role in this area as subsidies for fossil fuels will be abolished step by step.
New manufacturing methods and recycling economy – The Green Deal in production
Our industrial nations are still ruled by conventional linear economy which is sometimes referred to as “make waste economy”. This means raw materials and resources are extracted, processed, used, and then disposed of. The European Green Deal promises a comprehensive overhaul by making the switch to a circular economy (“recycling economy”). This system is providing much more regeneration because products will be used for as long as possible, then refurbished or at least recycled afterwards. Experts estimate a considerable relief for the environment since there would be less waste, a higher efficiency for the use of raw materials as well as more technical innovation.
What to expect after coal and nuclear power? The future of energy supply
The basic principle in the draft agreement of the new European Green Deal is an extensive shift to renewable energy sources such as hydropower and wind power. It is not only in terms of economy that the EU is trying to cooperate with all individual states – Generators and suppliers of energy shall become more networked and digitized in the future. This will require uniform standards as well as a modern infrastructure. The concept also requires all individual countries to renounce coal, oil, and natural gasoline. At the same time supply for all consumers must be secured at affordable prices. This is why many specialists believe a hydrogen ecosystem will be indispensable to compensate for fossil fuels and nuclear power.
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New ideas for sustainable building and renovation
According to estimates of the European Commission about 36 percent of energy-induced greenhouse gas emissions as well as 40 percent of the entire energy consumption are generated by the building sector alone. That means there is a big potential for savings.
The European Union greatly supports energy-efficient redevelopments with regard to the climate goals. The quota of these reconstructions shall be at least doubled by 2030. Experts hope this “wave” of renovations will not only bring about eco-friendly buildings, but also improve quality of life and create new job opportunities. Special attention is paid to heating systems and materials. Oil burners shall become obsolete in the near future. Another important subject is the heat insulation in new and old buildings. The “circular economy” will play into this once more. Raw materials are generally rare, limited goods. That is why the re-use or recycling of building material whenever possible are vital. This wave of renovations also incorporates digital solutions. Smart electric meters and water meters will become more common than they are now. They will greatly contribute to the saving of energy and its efficient use.
The European Union sees itself as the climate action champion and role model for other regions in the world. All measures of the Green Deal agenda must be followed, and their goals reached to become truly “climate-neutral”. Furthermore, a fundamental change can only be realised if all members of the population and businesses are convinced that it is all worth it. This requires sufficient qualified jobs, affordable housing and energy supply for everyone. The draft promises a “cost-efficient and fair transition”. No one shall be left behind – “neither man nor region”.
Author: filiarheni
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