Here are some excerpts from a statement published on Euractiv.com. The authors are Bertrand Piccard (founder and chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation) and Frans Timmermans (Vice-President of the European Commission).
Кризата, свързана с COVID-19 причини много страдания и несигурност, но последствията от нея ни предоставят възможност да изградим устойчива и силно конкурентна икономика.
For many, this is a terrible time. Right now, our efforts must be focused on fighting the virus while also supporting economic and financial development. We need a quick recovery from the crisis, with people returning to work and earning an income.
But which path will we take? Will we fight desperately for the things we had before, or will we try to optimize our resources?
What did we have before COVID-19?
A slow, linear, carbon-emitting economy struggling to increase employment and quality of life, which depleted natural resources, produced hazardous waste and toxic pollutants, and exposed the population and industry to risk… We won’t even mention climate change.
Do we really want to go back to that economy?
There is another path that offers quality growth towards a circular, sustainable, and highly competitive economy. How can we get there? By replacing old, polluting infrastructure with modern, clean, and efficient infrastructure in all sectors—water and sanitation, energy, construction, mobility, agriculture, industrial processes, etc.
This would lead to the creation of many more jobs and a faster increase in GDP.
Therefore, the claim that the Green Deal is a luxury we cannot afford is unfounded. Floods, droughts, forest fires, rising sea levels, and desertification will hit us hard. What’s more, pollution and melting glaciers will make us face viruses we don’t even know about yet.
The Green Deal is a growth strategy that protects the environment. Renewable energy sources and clean technologies are an economic and industrial opportunity. Investing resources in new infrastructure is not an expense but an investment; a way to increase profits for industry and reduce costs for individuals.
Delaying the introduction of higher standards for harmful emissions will not help the automotive industry when internal combustion engines are banned and customers are turning to electric cars. Nor will maintaining coal-fired power plants help the energy industry as renewable energy prices continue to fall.
That is why we need to invest in the new sustainable, inclusive, and competitive economy. This will enable us to emerge from the crisis stronger than before.
You can read the full statement here.