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What is the European Green Deal?
The ultimate objective of the European Green Deal seems quite clear: to be the most competitive economy in the world.he world's first continent to achieve carbon neutrality. This achievement is much more complicated than we might imagine, because our entire society and economy is based on production processes and services that are major emitters of CO2 and pollutants. In other words, since almost everything we use, eat or see is in some way polluting, we need to reinvent and change our entire production and supply chain. The European Union is aware of these complexities and has therefore decided to set 2050 as the year of carbon neutrality.
The year 1990 has been chosen as the reference point for emissions. The EU has already achieved an impressive amount over the last 30 years, having succeeded in reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 % emissions compared with 1990 levels. But this result is not enough. Fundamental changes will have to be implemented over the next few years, and the targets must be met on time if we are to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
What are the aims of the Green Deal?
The EU is implementing various programmes to accelerate the decarbonisation process simultaneously in different sectors. The sectors identified as the most crucial and urgent are as follows:
- Clean and renewable energy
La energy production is responsible for 30 % of the EU's total greenhouse gas emissions. It is therefore one of the main priorities for its 2050 objectives. Technological innovation provides us with different and more efficient ways of producing clean energy, but it is necessary to invest resources and time in building new infrastructures and, in general, in creating more local energy production systems.
- Industry
Accounting for 25 % of total emissions, industry is one of the most difficult spheres to decarbonise, particularly for specific sectors such as steel, cement and textile production, due to their highly polluting nature.
- The building sector
It is not much talked about compared to its cousins, mobility and renewable energies, but it is nonetheless responsible for around 13 % of greenhouse gas emissions. A completely new and intelligent way of constructing and renovating buildings must be implemented over the coming decades.
- Mobility and transport
The free movement of people and goods within countries and around the world is a fundamental necessity of our society, allowing people the freedom to go anywhere at any time. In this context, it is essential to renew and rethink the mobility sector, in order to achieve low or zero emissions as quickly as possible. Visit electric cars seem to be the best option available at the moment, offering the same experience (if not better in some cases) as internal combustion engines, but reducing road emissions to zero. In an effort to interconnect member states, the European Union is also funding rail infrastructure through the TEN-T.
- Food, agriculture and livestock
Food is an essential human need. However, thefood is responsible for around 11 % of European emissionsAlthough it is a vital industry, it has also shown that the level of inefficiency and waste is extremely high.
- Biodiversity and animal extinction
As part of the process of decarbonising our economy as a whole, it is also urgent to consider the possible consequences of our actions on animals, plants and all other forms of life, in order to halt the exponential mass extinction. Monocultures and intensive agriculture must be replaced by alternative and more sustainable farming methods.
- Polluting substances
Certain production methods and processes involve huge quantities of extremely toxic and polluting substances. It is essential to implement different and alternative methods and to rethink these highly polluting production processes.
An action plan for the circular economy
The European Commission has published a number of documents on the circular economy, including one that calls on Member States to carry out activities aimed at transforming their economies into circular economies.
The Emissions Trading Scheme : iIt sets an absolute limit or "cap" on the total quantity of certain greenhouse gases that can be emitted each year by the entities covered by the system.
The "farm to fork" strategy It aims to implement a more sustainable and efficient method of food production. This could also improve the general health of citizens and offer fair compensation to producers and farmers.
Revision of the Energy Taxation Directive : which takes a close look at subsidies and tax exemptions for fossil fuels.
A new strategy for electric and intelligent mobility : qhe aim is to reduce transport emissions and create a digital and connected environment to facilitate the switch to electric vehicles.
A European forestry strategy : qwhich aims to preserve and restore Europe's forests, with a view to absorbing carbon and promoting biodiversity.
What are the next steps in the Green Deal?
The European Union is setting specific targets and objectives to be achieved in specific years. In doing so, a kind of roadmap is beginning to emerge, which could give a fuller picture of the complexity and scale of the Green Deal's intentions.
Once again, to simplify the process, it is differentiated by sector.
Transport and mobility
The European Union is aware of the importance of the transition to greener mobility, which is why a specific strategy has been defined to ensure that the 27 EU Member States achieve a level of emission-free transport. To achieve this, the EU has set targets for the coming years:
- 55 % reduction in car emissions by 2030
- reducing emissions from vans by 50 % by 2030
- zero emissions for new cars from 2035.
Buildings and construction
Because of their long lifespan, the houses and buildings in European cities are generally very old and, as a result, extremely energy inefficient. Over the coming decades, we will see changes in this area:
- 35 million buildings could be renovated by 2030
- 160,000 new jobs could be created in the green construction sector by 2030.
- oblige Member States to renovate at least 3 % of the total surface area of all public buildings each year.
- set a target of 40 % of renewable energy by 2030
- require Member States to increase the use of renewable energy for heating and cooling by +1.1 percentage points each year until 2030
Power generation
Renewable energies will play a central role in the transition to a carbon-neutral society. Each country needs to understand what mix of renewables is right for it and draw up a specific plan to meet the EU's targets on time.
- 40 % of renewable energy by 2030
- 36-39 % new energy efficiency targets for 2030
Carbon absorption
Restoring nature and allowing biodiversity to thrive again offers a quick and cheap solution for absorbing and storing carbon.
The Commission is therefore proposing to restore Europe's forests, soils, wetlands and peat bogs. This will increase CO2 absorption and make our environment more resistant to climate change.
- 310 million tonnes is the target for carbon absorption over the next few years.
Green Deal financing
The EU's objectives for the Green Deal are very ambitious and require a strong collective and personal commitment. For this reason, and because of its "mosaic" structure, it is often said that this transition can be considered the greatest challenge of this century.
But how will the Green Deal be financed? Who will pay for it? Let's take a closer look.
In parallel with the Green Deal, the European Union has defined what is known as the European Investment Plan for the Green Deal, which aims to organise the funds that will make the ecological transition possible. In a nutshell, The European Union will allocate more than €1,000 billion to implement the Green Deal strategy. This impressive budget will be divided into two main funding streams: half of the budget, i.e. 528 billion eurosHalf will come directly from the EU budget and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. The other half will be financed by the InvestEU programme279 billion from the public and private sectors and €114 billion in co-financing from the Member States.
Avoiding unfair competition and carbon leakage
Since the EU Green Deal will rapidly change the production system in the 27 Member States, there is a good chance that importing high-emission products from countries with less ambitious emissions targets will be more advantageous than importing products made in Europe. This concept is known ascarbon leakage"In order to avoid carbon-intensive imports, carbon leakage will be controlled by a border carbon adjustment mechanism. To avoid carbon-intensive imports, carbon leakage will be controlled by a border carbon adjustment mechanism, so that the price of imports more accurately reflects their carbon content.
This mechanism will also encourage other countries that are heavily dependent on exports to Europe to move towards a more sustainable production system, ideally creating a collateral positive impact in regions outside the EU. EU27. It could also have a dissuasive effect on the relocation of goods production to countries where labour is cheaper, in order to obtain a more competitive final price.
What impact will the Green Deal have on Europe?
Le Green Deal will change Europe as we know it today. It is the most ambitious project ever undertaken by the 27 Member States, and it will reshape the economy and society of an entire continent.
First of all, being able to overcome the environmental problems associated with climate change is a historic achievement that will make it possible to avoid the terrible consequences of a climate catastrophe. The general improvement in the quality of life and the creation of a healthier and fairer working system will guarantee a better Europe for future generations.
As a result, a more efficient and intelligent industry will reduce waste and inefficiencies to a minimum, creating a more productive environment with healthy new growth.
There is a strong chance that Europe will be the first continent in the world to achieve carbon neutrality, due to the ambitious choices that have been made by the EU and the general sense of importance attached to the subject. This process will enable Europe to take the lead in the sustainability movement, serving as a benchmark for other countries around the world and helping other states to achieve the same level of low-carbon society.
Green Deal and electric vehicles, a solid duo
As we have already seen, theelectrification of private and public vehicles is at the heart of the EU's concerns, but let's try to better understand what the consequences of this transition will be.
The electric vehicles jumped in 2022 to around 233,000 EVS à battery sold in Europe over the first 6 months of the year, a figure to be put into perspective with the 409,000 diesel units sold. In the 18 European markets, electric vehicles now account for almost 10 % of market share.while sales of diesel cars fell to 17 % of the total. These data explicitly show the strong trend emerging in Europe, with electric cars creating more and more space and European governments increasingly enthusiastic about the electrification of fleets.
The European Union has also been clear about the emissions requirements imposed on car manufacturers. The average emissions of new passenger cars sold in Europe must not exceed 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre By 2025, this figure will fall by 15 %, then by a further 37.5 % by 2030. For many carmakers, this means that there is no alternative but to offset the impact of selling more polluting models by building zero-emission vehicles. This explains the growing presence of electric vehicles in carmakers' ranges. You can consult our catalogue to discover them all, or if you want to be more specific, you can consult the top 10 cheapest cars on the market or the most expensive cars on the market.autonomy the highest currently available.
The European Union knows that in order to ensure a complete and organic transition to electric vehicles, it is necessary to eliminate the main concerns: recharging and autonomy. For consumers to feel comfortable with EVs, it is crucial to work primarily on a recharging infrastructure This will enable users to enjoy the same freedom and autonomy as with internal combustion engine vehicles. Private recharging stations are very useful, but governments also need to ensure that they provide a solid, reliable recharging network capable of handling the large number of new electric vehicles coming onto the market every year. This is why the EU aims to install one million charging stations in the 27 Member States by 2025. We're keeping our fingers crossed that this goal will be achieved!
In conclusion
The roadmap in Europe is clear: sustainability is the new word of the 21st century, and carbon neutrality will be the next milestone in human history. The aim now is to find the most effective way of achieving this ambitious goal, and for the time being, electric vehicles and renewable energies seem to be leading the way in this direction. The obstacles in the future may be many and varied, but the figures give us hope for the best.
If, in view of all this, you have decided to take part in this global change, consult the best solutions we have identified to help you switch to electric vehicles or Find out more about electric cars and sustainability from our experts in their latest articles!
