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Green Deal – and electrification – should be the backbone of EU recovery plan
(EurActiv, 18 May 2020) The Green Deal is Europe’s growth strategy. Making it the backbone of the recovery plan is not only necessary in a climate perspective, but also from an economic point of view – in order to create growth and work opportunities that are sustainable in the long run, argue Nordic energy CEOs and top executives.
This op-ed was submitted by Nordenergi, the collaboration between the Nordic associations for electricity producers, suppliers and distributors. Signatories include:
- Pernilla Winnhed, Director General, Swedenergy
- Anders Stouge, Deputy Director General, Danish Energy Association
- Knut Kroepelien, CEO of Energy Norway
- Jukka Leskelä, CEO, Finnish Energy
Entering 2020, it seemed our societies would benefit from years of economic growth. Now, the outbreak of COVID-19 has shaken the world. It has already led to loss of countless lives, unemployment rates have skyrocketed and businesses are forced to shut down.
Having progressed somewhat in the health crisis, the full scale of its effects on the economy is yet to be seen. Understandably, European leaders are in a hurry to agree on a recovery plan for Europe. Some politicians are arguing that now is the time to re-prioritise and postpone the Green Deal.
We strongly disagree. Delaying the Green Deal will send the wrong signals to the Member States and the financial sector, and increases the risk that we will leap from the COVID frying pan into the climate fire, as stated in the Oxford Review of Economic Policy.
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EurActiv, 18 May 2020: Green Deal – and electrification – should be the backbone of EU recovery plan
