MAR C OS E CH E VAR R I A | I N T ER V I E W
THE GREEN NEW DEAL FOR EUROPE PAVING THE WAY FOR THE CLIMATE OF THE FUTURE?
THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS A FAST-APPROACHING REALITY AROUND THE WORLD. AS RISING TEMPERATURES ENDANGER EUROPEAN SHORES AND POLLUTED AIR POSES A HEALTH RISK IN EUROPEAN CITIES, THE GREEN NEW DEAL IS A PRIORITY IN THE POLITICAL DISCOURSE IN BRUSSELS. THE PERSPECTIVE TALKED TO ROMAN ERIC SIELER, A CLIMATE ACTIVIST AND ENERGY POLICY ANALYST, ABOUT THE INTRICACIES THAT THE DEAL ENTAILS.
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he Green New Deal (GND) has recently become a focal point of interest and concern within the national and transnational political narratives across Europe. In response to the increasingly numerous voices that have conspicuously expressed their worry on the Climate Crisis, in November 2019, the European Parliament declared a state of climate emergency and called for the Commission to fully cooperate in their collective endeavour to limit global warming to 1.5°C and significantly reduce Green House Gasses (GHGs). Subsequently, the European Commission developed what is known as the European Green Deal, aka the Green New Deal for Europe.
In May 2020, the European Parliament called for an ambitious recovery plan to be the core of European activity during transitioning out of the COVID-19 crisis. As a result, the European Commission came up with a €750 billion revival strategy that aims to create a “greener, more inclusive, digital and sustainable Europe” with the GND at its heart, according to the official website of the European Parliament. “We are determined to tackle climate change and turn it into an opportunity for the European Union,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said referring to the GND on 12 December in Brussels. However, the holistic and intricate nature of the project have made both the legislative package
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