The European Green Deal: systemic approach to sustainability (under pressure)
On November 16th, Professor Hans Bruyninckx shared his valuable insights on the pivotal role of the European Green Deal (EGD) in shaping Europe's environmental and climate policies amidst current global economic and geopolitical challenges.
The European Green Deal has been a game changer in the EU’s approach to environmental and climate policies. Its focus on systemic transitions is deeply embedded in the policy targets, the long-term objectives, the interconnected nature of the policy objectives, and the link with the social and economic dimensions of the green transition. However, given today’s macro-economic challenges and the uncertain geopolitical context the European Green Deal has come under pressure. In this lecture Hans Bruyninckx explains why staying the course is crucial for Europe even though political and economic arguments are use to lower ambitions or ‘push the pause button'.
A short summary of the lecture
“We will either change by design, or we will change by disaster. I prefer by design.”
Professor Hans Bruyninckx emphasized the urgency and interconnected nature of the current climate crisis, as acknowledged by major international organizations like the IPCC, IPBES, UNEP, WHO, and UNDP. He pointed out the long history of efforts to address climate change, tracing back to the 1972 Stockholm Declaration and subsequent initiatives like the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Despite these efforts, environmental indicators continue to deteriorate, primarily due to the unsustainable nature of current systems of production and consumption.
The European Green Deal, according to Bruyninckx, stands out because it directly addresses these core issues. It encompasses measures for biodiversity, circular economy, zero pollution, and includes strategies for farm-to-fork, just transition, industrial transformation, and sustainable investment. However, implementing these measures is challenging in a world where the largest oil companies profit immensely, policies often discount future consequences, and there is no central authority to oversee global environmental governance.
Bruyninckx criticized the current economic model for failing to account for nature and the environment. He urged the acceleration and scaling up of efforts towards deep sustainability, stressing that now is not the time for complacency or to "hit the pause button." The lecture underscored the importance of considering social systems and issues in this transition.
In summary, Bruyninckx's lecture on the European Green Deal provided a comprehensive overview of the systemic approach required to address the climate crisis. He highlighted the need for a transformative shift in production and consumption patterns and emphasized the urgency of staying the course in the face of political and economic pressures.
About the speaker
Prof Bruyninckx is a Professor of Environmental Governance at the University of Antwerp, a Senior Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore and the former Executive Director of the European Environment Agency (2013-2023).
Prof Bruyninckx's academic expertise lies primarily in the field of European and international environmental policy, studying the effects of globalisation on the global governance of environmental issues and sustainable development. From this perspective he has also studied global production and consumption systems, as well as issues relating to distribution and justice. He has published extensively on EU environmental policies and its role as an actor in global environmental governance.
Under Prof Bruyninckx's leadership, the European Environment Agency transformed its extensive knowledge base into a more policy-oriented format, ensuring its accessibility and relevance to societal and policy debates. During his mandate, the Agency strengthened its relationships with key stakeholders in Brussels and actively supported the European Green Deal, a significant initiative of the European Union.