Fairness Key to Europe’s Green Deal and Climate Transition

A recent report highlights fair circumstances while Europe moves towards its climate and environment goals. Instead of only focusing on emission reduction, it says sustainability calls for much more. It has complex challenges around justice and equality, especially regarding a climate-neutral future and the goals of the European Green Deal.

The report says that a just sustainability transition requires not only the taking away of unevenly distributed costs and benefits of environmental conditions but also provision of new opportunities to some of these regions and sectors at the cost of increased economic burdens elsewhere. Disparities in dealing with these disparities, the report argues, have to be dealt with so that no group or region is unfairly affected by the change.

Other reports point out that the risks of climate and pollution are unevenly distributed in society, with more vulnerable sections being more open and worse off. Such groups are more open to possible environmental hazards, including pollutants, floods, and other climatic change-related risks. This means that caution measures to protect the worst-offed should be accompanied by efforts to include them in decision-making. The report appeals for fair participation by giving these communities a voice in climate-related policies and, in the process of doing so, recognizing diversity and cultural contexts.

In addition to generalized recommendations, the report includes case studies from all over Europe, illustrating concrete examples of successful transitions in various regions and communities that have pursued equity. Case studies explain how different governance levels implement policies to achieve social fairness and justice within the sustainability agenda. Solutions to the crisis should be adapted to local conditions because it has been recognized that every community has dealt with specific socio-economic realities and challenges.

The European Union has established social fairness initiatives, which support those worst affected by the change. Among these initiatives is the just transition mechanism-one which funds regions transitioning through socio-economic change driven by sustainable policies. To ease new energy costs on some vulnerable sectors, the Social Climate Fund is designed to make sure that everybody is not worse off during the transition.

The agenda of the European leaders would be further steps towards ensuring a just transition. Some of these actions include expansion of funding mechanisms, initiation of affordable housing plans, and the promotion of social dialogue across Europe. Such policies could offer special consideration to regional and local inequalities in order not to leave anyone behind as Europe moves toward a sustainable future.