COVID-19 does not mean climate action is on hold
Fundamental to a transformational and green recovery will be early action on a longer-term agenda to address climate change...
Confronted with a health crisis that has caused a global social and economic shock, the European Union and countries around the world are adopting major economic support programmes.
Beyond direct health responses, fiscal stimulus packages provide an opportunity for initiating a transformational and green recovery with the creation of green jobs.
A new report by the Paris-based think tank I4CE Institute for Climate Economics, titled Investing in climate can help France drive its economic recovery [says] “...climate action is not an obstacle to crisis recovery, but an effective response to the demand for resilience that is likely to emerge across Europe” ...
I4CE believes a recovery package must prioritize outcomes relating to:
- The environment: by maintaining the credibility of the European Green Deal, by preserving the industrial capital of low-carbon sectors, by adapting the economy to climate change.
- The economy: by contributing to the revival of businesses in the short term while simultaneously reducing exposure to future crises such as oil price shocks, or the collapse of food and industrial supply chains.
- Health: by reducing the vulnerability of society to health threats, particularly by improving air quality and reducing fuel poverty...