The European Green Deal
A growth strategy that protects the climate
Right at the start of our mandate, we rallied Europe around a common goal: to develop a new growth model, the European Green Deal, based on a clean and circular economy.
Our vision is clear: Europe should remain a prime destination for investments that bring stable, future-proof quality jobs, with a strong industrial base
The European Green Deal was designed as the EU’s compass to achieve those goals. It aims to ensure zero emissions by 2050, making Europe the first climate-neutral continent in the world.
Making the EU climate neutral by 2050
In 2021 the EU adopted its first EU Climate Law. It set in stone Europe's goals to become climate-neutral by 2050, as well as a target of 55% less emissions by 2030, in comparison to 1990.
As required under the Climate Law, the Commission also recommended, in February 2024, an additional intermediate target of 90% less emissions by 2040, confirming our direction of travel.
Protecting vulnerable workers and societies
The European Green Deal is about more than setting targets. It is also about creating the right enabling environment. This is first and foremost about putting people at the core of the transition. That’s why we have been ensuring that the clean transition is just and fair, by supporting both those that are more vulnerable in the clean transition and most affected by the effects of climate change.
With the Just Transition Fund, we have supported workers and regions to develop new skills and thrive in the green economy.
Likewise, the Social Climate Fund, partly funded via the EU Emissions Trading System, will provide Member States with dedicated funding to support vulnerable groups thanks to investments in energy efficiency, renovation of buildings, and clean heating, amongst others.
Ida Viru, in Estonia, used to rely heavily on oil shale. Thanks to €354 million from the Just Transition Fund, some 11,000 workers and jobseekers are receiving reskilling and upskilling opportunities that will provide them with mobility solutions to new businesses with greener jobs.
Norrboten county, in northern Sweden, is a centre of the Swedish steel industry. The Fund is backing the H2-Labs project, which will receive €7 million in EU and national funding. The project wants to develop a test bed in Norrboten to explore the production of hydrogen. In enough quantities, climate-neutral hydrogen could replace the use of fossil fuels in steel production.
Supporting people and regions affected by increasingly frequent climate events
Climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent, causing widespread damage in entire communities. As these events become more common, the Commission presented how the EU can effectively get ahead of those climate risks and build greater climate resilience has stepped up its action to support Member States and people on the ground.
The EU Solidarity Fund has become one of the main expressions of EU solidarity in the wake of disasters. Since 2019, €2.1 billion have been provided to 13 Member States in the wake of climate disasters.
With NextGenerationEU, we are also providing financing for national projects that address climate change mitigation.
Moreover, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism supports countries in Europe and beyond when struck by climate-related emergencies. The Emergency Response Coordination Centre acts as a coordinator between Member States, the affected country, and civil protection and humanitarian experts, enabling the delivery of crucial support on the ground, but also in the forms of satellite mapping and modelling and training.
Supporting farmers to withstand the consequences of climate change
The Commission has also taken unprecedented steps to increase support to farmers and rural communities when they are impacted by climate-related disasters. Farmers in 22 Member States received €330 million to cope with the impacts of climate events and higher input costs.
This includes Spain and Portugal, where severe droughts have hit farmers repeatedly over the last months; and several regions of Italy affected by floods. Additionally, in Greece and Slovenia farmers affected by the 2023 floods were supported directly with €50 million.
To further support farmers, the Commission has also given Member States flexibility to complement EU support by up to 200% with national funds, and to provide higher advance payments of CAP funds to improve farmers’ cash flow.
Financing green reforms and investments
We have mobilised private and public funding that support the deployment of low-carbon energy sources and that increase the energy efficiency of buildings.
An estimated €275 billion of NextGenerationEU and REPowerEU funds will support clean investments, and €118 billion of Cohesion Policy until 2027 are earmarked for the clean transition.
40%
of NextGenerationEU funds goes to climate action
5.8 million
people protected against climate-related disasters
22 million
megawatts hours saved in energy consumption
Putting a price on carbon
We updated the EU Emissions Trading System to cover more activities, thereby motivating more economic sectors to implement reforms towards the clean transition.
This generates more revenues that will be reinvested in innovation, climate action, and social support, for example through the Innovation Fund, the Modernisation Fund, and the Social Climate Fund.
Improving energy efficiency, energy security and reducing dependence from Russia thanks to REPowerEU
In view of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Commission proposed to end Europe’s imports of Russian fossil fuels as quickly as possible with the REPowerEU Plan.
Increasing the share of renewables in the electricity mix and reducing overall energy demand contributed to reducing energy prices to pre-war levels. The agreed reform of the electricity market will further contribute to this.
More than double solar energy
produced since 2019
More electricity from wind than gas produced
for the first time in 2023
Enhancing the competitiveness of Europe's net-zero industry
The Commission has made sure that the European Green Deal contributes to Europe’s economic growth, because what is good for the climate can also be good for our economy.
Green Deal Industrial Plan
The Green Deal Industrial Plan creates conditions for the scaling up of manufacturing capacity for the net-zero technologies and products required to meet Europe’s climate targets.
Critical Raw Materials Act
The Critical Raw Materials Act will help ensure the EU’s access to a secure, diversified, affordable and sustainable supply and to increase domestic capacities for critical raw materials.
Net-zero Industry
Act
The Net-Zero Industry Act will boost the manufacturing of net-zero technologies in the EU and strengthen their resilience and competitiveness.
Keeping our green industry competitive and avoiding carbon-leakage
With our world first Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), we address carbon leakage, making sure that emissions are reduced wherever they are produced, not simply off-shored.
It encourages industries worldwide to embrace greener production methods and discourages firms from relocating outside the EU to countries with less stringent environmental standards. CBAM is a WTO-compliant tool, and it will ensure that the EU's climate objectives are not undermined.
Restoring the wealth of our environment
In line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework we have worked to restore biodiversity, address pollution, and make efficient use of resources. We have presented actions to reverse loss of pollinators by 2030, make batteries more user-replaceable, and to reduce packaging and packaging waste.
New European Bauhaus
The New European Bauhaus, a cultural movement that involves Europe’s creative community in making the Green Deal beautiful, sustainable and inclusive.
Zero Pollution
The Commission’s Zero Pollution Action Plan resulted in proposals for modernised standards on water quality, air quality, industrial emissions, chemicals, and transparency and clearer financing, so pollution costs fall less on the taxpayer.
Farm to Fork
Our Farm to Fork Strategy intends to make food supply systems fair and healthy, safeguard EU food security and affordability, while rewarding farmers for providing environmental and climate-friendly services.
Clean transition dialogue
This Commission has made a priority of a true dialogue with stakeholders to ensure that we address the challenges of the clean transition together.
That is why we have launched a series of clean transition dialogues with key industrial sectors and set up a Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture.
Keeping our promise to Europe
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