The European Green Deal: enhancing the resilience of EU society to face future shocks and contribute to a healthy planet

Scope and Objectives

On 24 May 2022, the Sustainable Development Observatory (SDO) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will host an online event as part of its 75th meeting. The debate is organised in the context of the Stockholm+50 conference "A healthy planet for the prosperity of all" (2-3 June 2022) and will feed into the work of the Sustainable Development Observatory.

Bringing together representatives of EU institutions, civil society and other stakeholders, this event aims to:

  • reflect on how the European Green Deal can contribute to a better future on a healthy planet
  • explore how it can enhance the resilience of the EU society to face current and future shocks
  • discuss challenges and opportunities ahead to advance on an open strategic autonomy in the current geopolitical context.

Context

In the year of the 50th anniversary of the Club of Rome’s landmark report "The Limits to Growth", the COVID-19 pandemic and climate impacts are showing us how global ecosystems are interconnected and under growing stress. Bold choices and new directions are more urgent than ever. 

The European Green Deal is a response to these challenges. It's the most ambitious roadmap ever adopted to make the Union’s economy sustainable, in a fair and inclusive manner that tackles both climate and wider environmental challenges as we prepare for 2050.

This agenda requires unprecedented transformations, in a context of geopolitical instability and rising global challenges. The devastating war in Ukraine has drawn attention to the consequences of Europe's excessive dependence on Russian energy and raised many questions about the commitments of the European Green Deal. Policies are being developed to accelerate the EU's "strategic autonomy" while maintaining an open economy.

The EESC has stated clearly that "the impacts of the war should not come to the detriment of climate action and sustainability, as provided for in the UN Agenda 2030 on sustainable development which is, first and foremost, an agenda of peace, security and poverty reduction. The EESC underlines the need to progress towards implementation of the UN Agenda 2030 and a just transition, through the European Green Deal, emphasising that exceptional derogations only can be granted for a limited time". 

The SDO meeting comes just before the Stockholm+50 conference "A healthy planet for the prosperity of all" (2-3 June 2022). 

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