The European Green Deal is the European Union’s roadmap for becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. It combines climate policy, economic transformation, and social inclusion to reduce emissions, accelerate clean energy, and promote sustainable industry and mobility. Backed by more than €1 trillion in sustainable investments, the strategy supports innovation, biodiversity, circular economy principles, and a just transition for regions most affected by decarbonisation.
The European Green Deal is the European Union’s flagship strategy for addressing climate change and building a sustainable, competitive, and climate-neutral economy. Introduced by the European Commission in 2019, the Green Deal aims to transform Europe into the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 while ensuring economic growth is decoupled from resource use and environmental degradation [1]. It represents a comprehensive policy framework that integrates climate action into energy, industry, agriculture, transport, finance, and innovation.
One of the central goals of the European Green Deal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, a target legally established through the European Climate Law. In the long term, the EU seeks to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Beyond environmental objectives, the Green Deal also aims to create new economic opportunities, improve public health, enhance energy security, and ensure that the green transition is socially fair and inclusive [2].
The Green Deal focuses on several key areas of action. One of the most important is the transition to clean and renewable energy sources, including wind, solar, hydrogen, and energy-efficient systems. The EU also promotes sustainable mobility through investments in electric vehicles, public transport, and low-emission infrastructure. Another major pillar is the circular economy, which encourages recycling, waste reduction, sustainable product design, and more efficient use of resources [3]. In addition, the Green Deal supports biodiversity protection, sustainable agriculture through the “Farm to Fork” strategy, cleaner industrial production, and the renovation of buildings to improve energy efficiency.
Funding is a crucial component of the European Green Deal. The European Commission committed to mobilising at least €1 trillion in sustainable investments over the decade 2021–2030 through the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan and related financial instruments [4]. A significant portion of the EU budget and the NextGenerationEU COVID-19 recovery programme is dedicated to climate-related investments. Under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, Member States are required to allocate at least 37% of funds to climate objectives. Moreover, the EU has committed at least 30% of its long-term budget to green investments, while additional resources are channelled through programmes such as InvestEU, the Just Transition Mechanism, and green bonds.
Finally, it is worth highlighting that the European Green Deal also stimulates research, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration through Horizon Europe projects and international partnerships. In this context, the ECOSYSTEM project aligns closely with Green Deal objectives by supporting sustainable alternatives to fossil-based plastics, knowledge exchange, and collaborative approaches to addressing environmental and societal challenges.
References:
[1] WEBSITE – European Council; European Green Deal. (2024).
[2] WEBSITE – European Commission; The European Green Deal, a growth strategy that protects the climate. (2025).
[3] WEBSITE – European Parliament; Topics – Green Deal: key to a climate-neutral and sustainable EU. (2025).
[4] WEBSITE – European Commission; Finance and the Green Deal. (2021).