The European Green Deal in Times of the COVID-19 Crisis: Perspectives and Priorities from Different Member States
Last Wednesday, 20 May 2020, members of the EUKI Community presented a webseminar on the topic of “The European Green Deal in times of the COVID-19 crisis: Perspectives and priorities from different member states”.
COVID-19 has deeply transformed the political context in the EU, with considerable implications for the European Green Deal. The Commission has postponed several initiatives in light of the pressing health crisis and the reduction in governing capacity due to the far-reaching lockdowns in Europe. However, key aspects like the NDC impact assessment, the increase of the 2030-target and the Climate Law are supposed to proceed according to plan. Other initiatives, such as the Renovation Wave, might even receive a significant boost.
This readjustment of plans is happening against the background of a shifting climate debate. While some voices are calling for a lowering of climate policy ambition, others stress that upcoming recovery measures offer the chance for a green economic reorientation. European institutions have confirmed their commitment to climate action and the European Green Deal as a roadmap out of the coming economic downturn, but the devil will be in the detail of which recovery measures are implemented.
In this webseminar Rebekka Popp (Researcher, Third Generation Environmentalism – E3G) talked about “COVID-19 and the European Green Deal”, Julian Schwartzkopff (Project Manager, Deutsche Umwelthilfe – DUH) presented the “Shifted Priorities of the German EU Presidency”, Raphael Hanoteaux (EU Policy Officer, CEE Bankwatch Network) focused on “Central and Eastern Europe and the European Green Deal” and the final presentation was by Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf (Senior Fellow/Head of the International and European Governance Program, Ecologic Institute) on “Green Recovery”.
This webseminar was developed out of a Thematic Workshop Session which was planned for the 3rd EUKI Networking Conference. Unfortunately, the conference had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis. Therefore, a big thank you to the speakers which agreed to present their topic to the EUKI Community as a webseminar instead.