Von der Leyen’s European Commission to unveil ambitious Green Deal
Today, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to officially unveil a draft version of a “European Green Deal”.
The plan will outline policies that Von der Leyen’s commission intends to implement to create a “green economy” in Europe and combat climate change. The plan aims to halve EU greenhouse gas emissions before 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The proposed changes must confront member-specific concerns to garner the necessary approval to move towards implementation. For instance, coal-reliant Poland has expressed concern that it lacks the financial means to completely overhaul its energy infrastructure.
Moreover, while the EC has taken steps to address such concerns—in the case of Poland, by offering financial support—Von der Leyen faces an uphill battle in selling the plan’s economic viability. Indeed, the current proposal would commit some $300 billion, or a quarter of the bloc’s budget between 2021 and 2027, in public funds to the Green Deal.
Further fleshing out how the EU can balance its budget with such an ambitious proposal, or finding ways to reduce its cost, will increase the chances that Von der Leyen can gain the member state support required for implementation.
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