PES President Sergei Stanishev said:
“The European Green Deal is the most radical environmental proposal ever put forward by the European Commission. It is a plan with progressive fingerprints all over it.
“We were the champions of a more sustainable society at the European elections, and today Frans Timmermans is keeping that promise with the voters.
“The European Green Deal is an opportunity to lift everybody up. From a climate-neutral Europe by 2050, to a just transition for workers and industry, this plan is a progressive vision which combines the protection of our planet with the interests of all Europe’s citizens. This deal is not just the first big announcement of the European Commission, it is the first of many progressive changes at European level which socialists and social democrats are successfully pushing forward.”
With Frans Timmermans’ European Green Deal, Europe sets out a clear ambition to be the international leader on sustainability.
The Deal is an opportunity to lift all Europeans up. It reflects the priorities set out by the PES during the European elections campaign. It has a Just Transition Mechanism, including a Just Transition Fund, which will invest in the workers and regions most exposed to the economic and social challenges of the climate transition, ensuring that no person and no territory is left behind as we move to a more sustainable future. It raises the EU goals and pushes for a climate-neutral Europe by 2050, so we can protect our biodiversity and all enjoy clean air, clean water, clean energy and quality food.
The European Green Deal will promote construction and renovation with a focus on energy and resource efficiency, thereby improving sustainability, reducing energy bills and creating jobs. It refocuses the European Semester process to integrate the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs), so sustainability and citizens’ well-being are at the centre of economic policy, and the SDGs are at the heart of EU policymaking and action. The deal will also ensure that taxation is aligned with Europe’s climate objectives.
The PES has consistently campaigned for a more sustainable and just Europe. Yesterday the PES, S&D Group and PSOE held an Open Dialogue on Climate Action and an Extraordinary PES Environment, Climate & Energy Change Network meeting at the COP25 in Madrid. The event focused on how Europe can be a leader in the fight for a sustainable world.
