Key concepts of the European Green Deal
The European Green Deal is a response to the problems related to the climate and the environment. The challenge is to understand how the present generation can correct the mistakes made by previous generations by recognizing that with each passing year the temperature of the Planet increases and the climate changes. The Green Deal is nothing more than a new strategy to transform the Union into a just and prosperous society with a modern, resilient, resource-efficient and competitive economy that will generate no net gas emissions in 2050 greenhouse and in which economic growth will be dissociated from the exploitation of resources. The European Union has the ambition to lead the environmental transition on a global level, to lead the way and dictate the line. This is because the challenge is global and no country will achieve its goals of innovation, prosperity and sustainability by acting alone. In fact, the strategies of the European Union are perfectly aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Organization.
Orient the economy of the Union towards a sustainable future
To achieve the objectives, all Union citizens are involved in rethinking clean energy supply policies in all sectors of the economy, the value attached to the protection and restoration of natural ecosystems and the sustainable use of resources and improvement of human health. In addition, the European Union is committed to facilitating and directing investments towards the necessary digital transformation that offers essential tools for achieving the changes necessary to achieve the goals.
The Green Deal focuses on the tools of regulation, investment and innovation, national reforms and dialogue between the social partners involved.
Among the key points of all the reforms necessary to achieve the ambitious and necessary objectives of the Green Deal, the setting of a carbon price in all sectors of the economy clearly emerges. By inserting this distortion, consumers and businesses will be encouraged to change their behavior towards low-emission habits, directing investments towards sustainable solutions, penalizing initiatives that do not take into account their carbon footprint. For this same purpose, taxation will be aligned with climate objectives. A concrete example will be the taxation of energy products, preferring those originating from renewable sources.
The construction, use and renovation of buildings will play a key role in the immediate future in reducing energy consumption on a large scale. In fact, buildings are responsible for 40% of energy consumption at the Union level. The Green Deal highlights how it is necessary to increase the annual rate of renovation to achieve the objectives of energy efficiency and climate.
Another key area to achieve the goals is that of transport. In fact, transport is responsible for a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions of the whole EU territory. In this context, the goal is to reduce emissions by 90% by the year 2050. This revolution will affect road, rail, air and sea transport. This disruption will be accomplished by putting users first by providing cheaper, accessible, healthier and cleaner alternatives. A strong impetus will be provided to multimodal transport. The priority is to shift most of the goods transported by road to rail and inland waterways. This new mobility will be as automated and connected as possible through intelligent traffic management systems made possible by the generalized digitalization of the system. Transport infrastructures will be disrupted to make them suitable for supporting new sustainable mobility services to reduce traffic and consequently the related emissions, with a particular focus on urban areas. Mobility will become a service.
Food in Europe is known for being safe, nutritious and high-quality and is a world reference for sustainability. There are many opportunities in this area for all food business operators. New technologies and scientific discoveries, together with a growing public awareness that increases the demand for sustainable food, will benefit all stakeholders. Among the strategic objectives, the Union is committed to reducing the use of chemical pesticides and the risks associated with them, as well as the use of fertilizers and antibiotics. To this end, new innovative methods are needed to protect crops from harmful organisms and ensure food safety.
Ecosystems as a whole provide food, fresh water and clean air. They mitigate the catastrophic impact of natural events, pests, diseases and regulate the climate. The specific biodiversity strategy focuses on restoring damaged ecosystems to bring them to a state that allows them to perform their natural carbon capture task.
“Zero pollution” goal
Creating an environment free of toxic substances is a difficult and very effective action. Pollution must be prevented and already polluted ecosystems cleaned. This covers actions to restore the natural functions of both ground and surface waters to protect the biodiversity of rivers, lakes and wetlands. The air quality will be increased through modeling and monitoring on specific floors to have cleaner air.
The private sector plays a key role in the ecological transition. Investments must be directed towards green investments and sustainable solutions. To this end, it is necessary to develop methodologies and certifications that are credible and that evaluate the real impact that each single action can provide in the common direction enlightened by the Green Deal.
Finally, the participation and commitment of all citizens are essential to create a prosperous, healthy and resilient economy and society to climate change. The Green Deal is nothing more than the debut of a new growth strategy for the European Union.
