Why Putting Europe’s Green Deal Into Action Is So Hard

Four years after the European Union unveiled its “Green Deal” pledge — to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 — policymakers are embarking on the most difficult part: enacting the actual measures needed to achieve that ambitious goal. Delivering on even the initial emission-reduction targets is challenging, not least because of the massive costs associated with such a fundamental economic and social transformation covering everything from energy and industry to agriculture, transport and finance. Some countries, including Germany and France, want to ease the burden for their companies and make the changes less disruptive for people’s daily lives, while Poland said it would challenge some legislation in European courts. European Parliament elections next year are likely to highlight the political divisions across the continent, while the bloc’s own auditors have raised doubts about whether the next set of targets will be met.

It’s a strategy, or roadmap, toward an agreed-upon goal that brings with it a swathe of regulations to meet interim targets along the way. The plan, which was adopted by the EU’s executive arm in 2019, calls for retooling every industry, particularly carbon-intensive ones such as steel and cement, as well as protecting biodiversity and natural habitats, cleaning the air and the oceans and more. The plan aims to promote certain technologies, such as battery production, to better compete with Asian suppliers. It also aims to embed environmental goals into standards for banks, money managers and insurers, directing trillions of euros into sustainable investment. To translate all that into reality, though, each part needs specific legislation. The various proposals, drafted in Brussels, then work their way through the EU legislative process, which usually takes over a year.