POLIS joins over 500 organisations calling on EU leaders to recommit to the Green Deal
Ahead of the upcoming European Leaders summit, which will set the EU strategic priorities for the next 5 years, POLIS Network and more than 500 cross-sector organisations have come together, united in a robust call to strengthen the mandate of the EU Green Deal.
Companies and associations from across different sectors – including transport, chemicals, services, renewables, shipping, and consumer goods – have joined with climate and nature NGOs and local government associations to issue the statement. Together, signatories reminded EU leaders that the Green Deal is, and has been, the engine to drive sustainable growth and security.
The Green Deal has set the EU on a path to sustainable growth and has proven robust and convincing in challenging times. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, the resulting fossil fuel crisis, as well as the increasingly dire impacts of climate change in Europe, have confirmed the Green Deal as essential to the EU's security, competitiveness, environmental and social welfare objectives.
The fossil fuel crisis catapulted Europe into a new paradigm. The energy trilemma of sustainability, affordability, and security of supply now clearly points in one direction: delivering and completing the Green Deal - replacing fossil fuels and shifting to a sustainable, circular and just economy - is essential to all of Europe's strategic objectives.
Cities and regions are key when it comes to implementing the Green Deal, and are at the forefront of the fight against climate change.
On 17 June 2024, POLIS and the other signatories asked 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 decarbonisation objectives are met in the most efficient way.
You can read the full manifesto in the attached document. More information about this initiative can be found here.
