Since the last EU election in 2019, the pace of climate change has gained momentum, with 2023 being the hottest year on record.
With the 2024 European Parliament elections taking place from 6-9 June, the fate of the European Green Deal—the von der Leyen Commission’s landmark legislation aimed at making Europe the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050—hangs in the balance.
Launched in 2019, the European Green Deal was considered the EU’s ‘man on the moon moment’. Since then, the EU has enacted several steps to attain these targets, which involve reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the use of renewables further intensified by the Russia-Ukraine war, and protecting biodiversity. Several proposals including the REPower EU strategy and the Fit for 55 package were devised to these ends.
Launched in 2019, the European Green Deal was considered the EU’s ‘man on the moon moment’. Since then, the EU has enacted several steps to attain these targets, which involve reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the use of renewables further intensified by the Russia-Ukraine war, and protecting biodiversity.
The deal has already had many successes. For instance, in Germany, carbon emissions were reduced by 73 million metric tonnes from 2022 figures, and over half of Germany’s energy needs were fulfilled by renewables in 2022, according to data from Agora Energiewende.
