The European Green Deal after Corona: Implications for EU climate policy

Climate change policy cannot be the first priority of the EU for the immediate future. However, in spite of the corona-crisis, the urgency of climate change mitigation has not disappeared. The post-corona recovery can both put the EU’s decarbonisation progress back on track – after low-carbon investments will inevitably take a hit – and support economic recovery through the EU’s Green Deal proposals. Instead of tinkering around the margins, the EU should focus on transformational technologies and, for example, go big on low-carbon infrastructure and efficient buildings as well as lead markets to boost demand for climate-neutral industry.