The climate crisis is pressing. We hear about it every day, talk about it every day, and unfortunately, we see it every day. Its increasing urgency is a reminder that every little action towards preservation counts. Yet still, in the grand scheme of things, big numbers can become overwhelming to the individual. Climate and energy legislation is what will make the real difference.
On the European Green Deal, the Commission’s focus will be overhauling our relevant climate and energy legislation to align with the newly proposed target to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030, as compared to 1990 levels.
European Commission
We can’t waste time with the climate crisis
After calling the Paris agreement a “disaster” and pulling the U.S from the climate accord, Trump left the country hanging in a critical environmental state.
Before he was elected, Biden made promises aiming to achieve the Green New Deal objectives, with investments in clean energy that exceed 2 trillion dollars. Unfortunately, those are currently being somewhat compromised.
Between the recently endorsed bipartisan infrastructure deal criticized for going against some of the President’s initial promises, and also Louisiana’s Federal Judge Terry Doughty seeking to halt Biden’s ban on offshore gas and oil leases, the obstacles are abundant.
But positive prospects are ahead and meanwhile, the rest of the world isn’t stopping. In fact, these days may be open to greater opportunities than ever before.
A green light ahead
Indeed, as we seem to slowly be coming out of these unprecedented times, our society finds itself at a rare crossroads. With the hope of recovering the economic wreckages of the pandemic, many decisions are being made. More than ever, we have the opportunity to make long-term choices that can impact our planet in a positive way.
While Asia hasn’t yet declared an official “Green Deal,” several of its Southeastern countries are opting for sustainable alternatives to their energy production.
From developing hydroelectric power plants in Laos, to infrastructure investments in countries like Vietnam and the Philippines to overcome their reliance on coal and fossil fuel imports, changes are being made.
The necessity for fiscal stimulus engendered by the pandemic is thus an opportunity to couple such investments with long-term sustainability goals.
Even big deals start with small steps
The European Commission recently declared its own Green Deal for 2050.
That’s in less than 29 years, which is a little mind-boggling to wrap our heads around at home. While these timelines highlight that the world won’t change overnight, they also mean we can’t wait 28 years to make changes to face the climate crisis.
Because as easy as it is to lose sight of what saving our planet means, especially in an economically driven society, plans are laid out for a reason. And as cheesy as it may sound and as far from us as they may feel at times, those changes still begin with us.
We will put forward a series of measures on smart and sustainable transport, including a revision of the Regulation on the trans-European transport network and of the Directive on intelligent transport systems. We will continue the implementation of the circular economy action plan, looking at eco-design and sustainable products, in particular circular electronics, including improving the collection, reuse and repair of mobile phones, laptops and other devices.
European Commission
The circular economy concept has been put to work in recent years, where the way our economy is run would attempt to mirror the renewable cycle of nature itself.
Switch 2 Green is an initiative funded by the European Commission, offering assistance to all with one goal: going green. In addition to its services, the platform is home to everything you need to know about the matter, including country-specific case studies.
One of many, they are there to inspire positive change for our planet.
