The EU must ensure a sustainable future 

We must act now! It is high time for major and efficient action against the excess exploitation and degradation that our planet is currently enduring. Due to the Corona Crisis many countries are in lockdown, however, there will be many more lockdowns not caused by a single virus, but rather by environmental issues. This would include climate, pollution and further sanitary lockdowns, as well as various restrictions and prohibitions on certain activities - Corona is only the beginning.

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In the blink of an eye, the EU has managed to find 750 billion euros to support companies and the economy. Yet many of these companies will resume ‘business as usual’ with no change whatsoever to how they operate and will continue polluting and degrading our environment.

This is why we need bold moves in this historical moment. The current initiatives of the European Union have not been sufficient to create a sustainable Europe. The EU, together with the European Investment Bank and the European Central Bank, must create a budget of 2000 billion euros over a period of 10 years, for an ecological and social fund that the 27 countries can draw from. This would be necessary in order to support a real ecological transition that will focus on transport, the energy sector, agriculture, the relocation of strategic industries, and the recycling sector. The financial mechanism of this fund is explained in this document (in French) Fondation pour la Nature et l’Homme

We all must act for the future of our planet! To act means to demand money and greater resources from the only organisation that concerns the entirety of Europe: the European Commission. Right now, we have a unique opportunity to change things in Europe, and thereby inspire the rest of the world to do the same.

As a last note, it is important to realize that despite the fact that the money from the EU will make a significant difference to our environmental transition, extra regulations would still need to be implemented.  This would include the development of border taxes for products that don’t meet the EU standards, the reduction of short-distance flights and the emissions from road transport, as well as the improvement of recycling schemes.

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