Posted on May, 13 2022

The ramifications of the war in Ukraine have revealed the vulnerabilities of our economies, particularly when based on fossil fuels and the unsustainable production and consumption of natural resources. In its Versailles Declaration, the European Council recognised that the EU needs to accelerate the reduction of its reliance on fossil fuels, ending our dependence on Russian gas, oil and coal imports as soon as possible.
 
WWF is convinced that the European Green Deal is now more important and urgent than ever, as a compass for a speedy and consistently implemented green and just transition. This is the only way that long-term food, energy and indeed climate and overall socio-economic security can be achieved.

As the EU is preparing and implementing the responses to the war, it is imperative that this situation is not used as a justification for watering down crucial environmental standards in the EU, and to postpone or even scrap policy action aimed at restoring nature or making food production more sustainable, as attempted by vested interests. All solutions to the immediate crisis must be inclusive, socially fair and support the EU’s long-term climate and biodiversity goals.

With this briefing paper, WWF provides decision-makers with its key recommendations on how the EU can boost its resilience and independence through the European Green Deal, including:
 

• Speed up the just and ecologically sustainable energy transition by taking measures to reduce the EU’s energy consumption by at least 45% and increasing the share of renewables to at least 50% by 2030
• Accelerate the transition to sustainable food systems and stepping up and implementing the targets and actions set out in the EU Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies 
• Increase public and private expenditure aligned with the European Green Deal while ensuring that the EU no longer rewards polluters or locks-in fossil fuels

Important opportunities to translate these recommendations into ambitious action include the upcoming REPowerEU Plan, the possibility to increase the ambitious of the EU Fit for 55 legislative package, and speeding up the adoption of key initiatives under the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies.