Here’s what’s in the European Green Deal, and what isn’t.Much of the plan in the Green Deal right now is a plan to have a plan. The Green Deal is an integral part of this Commission’s strategy to implement the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals3, and the other priorities announced in President von der Leyen’s political guidelines4.

But its plan is light on how to do so.On Wednesday, the European Commission unveiled a plan to zero out its contributions to climate change and transform Europe’s economy.

The road to zero emissions is a long and winding one. But its principles, methods, and even its name are quite familiar.
Von der Leyen acknowledged there are still some details to be resolved and that the European Green Deal is a “broad roadmap,” rather than a definitive action plan. The document the European Commission presented Wednesday that outlines the proposal is just 24 pages long. It’s a drastic increase in climate change ambition from the bloc. To learn more or opt-out, read our The European Union plans to eliminate its contributions to climate change by 2050. So the new annual outlay would likely top this number.

“And therefore a crucial part of the European Green Deal is the just transition mechanism.” The mechanism would mobilize 100 billion euros “precisely targeted to the most vulnerable regions and sectors” during the transition. The announcement comes as negotiators from around the world are gathered in Madrid, Spain, for a United Nations meeting called EU officials said fighting climate change doesn’t have to disrupt economic growth, and that Europe has the track record to prove it. Beyond restructuring the European economy around a growing clean energy sector, the shift away from fossil fuels would save lives. Between 1990 and 2018, the EU’s emissions fell by 23 percent, but its gross domestic product grew by 61 percent. Europos klimato teisės aktas)(Proposta tal-Kummissjoni għal regolament: Liġi Ewropea dwar il-Klima)(Voorstel van de Commissie voor een verordening: Europese klimaatwet)(Wniosek Komisji dotyczący rozporządzenia: europejskie prawo o klimacie)(Proposta de regulamento da Comissão: Lei Europeia do Clima)(Propunere a Comisiei de regulament: Legea europeană a climei)(Návrh nariadenia Komisie: európsky právny predpis v oblasti klímy)(Predlog Komisije za uredbo: evropska podnebna pravila )(Komission asetusehdotus: eurooppalainen ilmastolaki)(Kommissionens förslag till en europeisk klimatlag)(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Commission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021))(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)(Communication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe)Communication and roadmap on the European Green DealCommission Communication on the Sustainable Europe Investment PlanProposal for a regulation establishing the Just Transition FundCommission proposal for a regulation: European Climate LawCommission Proposal for a Decision: A European Year of Rail (2021)Publication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive EuropeCommunication: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a Cleaner and More Competitive EuropeThis site is managed by the Directorate-General for Communication