European Green Deal announced by new Commission

Brussels – Climate action will be ramped up as part of a European Green Deal announced by President-elect Ursula von der Leyen, who has set out her political guidelines for the 2019-2024 Commission.

The Green Deal aims to make Europe the world’s first climate neutral continent, and is composed of a number of ideas for legislative action. These include:

  • The extension of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to the maritime, traffic and construction sectors
  • A revision to the Energy Taxation Directive to help boost the use of sustainable energy
  • A Carbon Border Tax to avoid carbon leakage
  • A New Industrial Strategy to decarbonise energy-intensive industries
  • A New Circular Economy Action Plan
  • Record investment into cutting-edge research and innovation, and technology uptake, through Horizon Europe
  • A Sustainable Europe Investment Plan, aiming to support €1 trillion investment in the next decade
  • Transforming parts of the European Investment Bank into Europe’s climate bank
  • A Biodiversity Strategy and ‘Farm to fork’ strategy for sustainable food
  • Greater investment into environmental protection, and tackling plastic waste.

Carbon-neutrality by 2050 will be enshrined in EU legislation by a new European Climate Law. Ambition will be further raised by increasing the EU’s carbon reduction target for 2030 towards 55%.

Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans will coordinate the work on the European Green Deal, and will also manage climate action policy, supported by the Directorate-General for Climate Action.

You can read more in the strategy document ‘A Union that strives for more’

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