On June 16, 2024, a joint declaration was published, affirming the Green Deal as a driver of growth and security in Europe, providing the much-needed clarity and stability for industries and citizens alike. The signatories, including businesses, associations, local entities, NGOs, and other stakeholders, called on EU leaders to confirm the Green Deal as the foundation for a competitive, secure, modern, and efficient Europe for the next EU term.
Supported by 513 signatories from various sectors, including Via ID and Mobivia, this joint declaration demonstrates broad support for making the Green Deal the cornerstone of the EU’s future strategy for sustainable and secure development.
Green Deal: a lever for sustainable growth
The Green Deal has already set the EU on a path to sustainable growth and has proven robust and convincing in times of crisis. Current challenges, such as the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine, the resulting fossil fuel crisis, and the increasingly severe impacts of climate change in Europe, have confirmed that the Green Deal is essential for the EU’s security, competitiveness, and social welfare objectives.
The energy trilemma and the Green Deal solution
The fossil fuel crisis has propelled Europe into a new paradigm. The energy trilemma—sustainability, affordability, and security of supply—now clearly points in one direction: delivering and completing the Green Deal by replacing fossil fuels and shifting to a sustainable, circular, and just economy is crucial to all of Europe’s strategic objectives.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), EU electricity consumers saved an estimated EUR 100 billion during 2021-2023 thanks to an acceleration in renewables and electrification. On the other hand, inaction on climate change could lead to a 10% loss in global GDP by mid-century.
A strategy for Europe’s prosperity and competitiveness
The EU Green Deal is the best strategy for securing Europe’s prosperity and competitiveness, providing much-needed coherence and regulatory stability to Europe’s businesses and citizens. The undersigned companies and stakeholders, therefore, ask EU leaders to:
- Confirm the EU Green Deal as a top priority in the next EU Strategic Agenda, and complement it with a Clean Industrial Deal that aligns with the Green Deal objectives.
- Align all EU financial instruments with the Green Deal objectives for 2030 and beyond, including establishing a new Clean Industrial Deal Investment Plan as part of the next EU budget and supporting cities and regions in the transition.
- Appoint an Executive Vice-President for both the Green and Industrial Deals to ensure both competitiveness and decarbonization objectives are met in the most efficient way.
Call to action for EU leaders
The signatories call on EU leaders to use the next five years of their mandate to act on its Green Deal commitments. They emphasize that there are twenty seasons left to take our fate into our own hands and advance towards a competitive, secure, and democratic Europe. They urge not to gamble on our future but to build it.