The COVID-19 pandemic and its immediate health, social, and economic impacts require an urgent response. Beyond this, however, public stimulus packages to relaunch the economy are already being developed, requiring crucial decisions on where these substantial financial flows should be directed, or through which channels and vehicles, in order to bring the most benefits.
Badly designed recovery plans in response to the COVID-19 outbreak risk exacerbating the social inequalities and environmental crisis. Instead, governments should aim for a sustainable, equitable, and resilient recovery, in line with the European Green Deal, the Paris Agreement, biodiversity goals, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).