By Aditya Kumar

One of the most pressing global problems of the 21st century, climate change calls for immediate action in the form of policies that take into account both environmental sustainability and economic transformation.

The European Green Deal is one of the most ambitious policy agendas that will help the European Union (EU) become sustainable and climate-neutral economy by as early as 2050.

Despite the fact that the strategy has seen an increase in funding towards green technology, sustainable infrastructure, as well as renewable energy, it has also contributed to the political conflicts between the member states as they hold diverse economic interests and capabilities.

A transition that is equitable and fair across the board during the green transition is not easily attained hence industrial players as well as labour markets are subjected to intense transitional problems.

The EU is a union of distinct member states with varied economic forces, energy demands, and policy agendas, thus the implementation of the Green Deal is deeply anchored in the calculations of a complex political dimension.

Some countries are fiercely in favour of lofty climate goals because they have invested much in renewable energy infrastructure; however, others are worried about the financial burden of change, particularly for industries that use a lot of fossil fuels. The Green Deal is becoming a point of contention rather than a unified strategy due to the fact that policymaking and its implementation produce policy conflicts.

The Green Deal focuses on more economic aspects of creating clean technologies and sustainable infrastructure to generate more innovation, more green jobs, and competitiveness. All the concerns concerning the industry reorganisation, the loss of jobs in the corresponding industries, and the inequality in the region are raised simultaneously.

The two effects reveal that a balance between environmental objectives and economic atrocity and social equity is a challenging issue. Theoretically, three frameworks (sustainability transition, political economics, and environmental governance) guide the research into the Green Deal.

To ensure that the lofty objectives of the Green Deal become a reality, it is necessary to have a lifetime commitment to political will, inclusive leadership and policies to accommodate local imbalances and give a fair transition. This article points out fiscal systems, technical advancement, and the world working together as some of the factors that are worthwhile and could enhance the success of policies.

Finally, European Green Deal will make the EU a worldwide climate policy leader. The long-term sustainability of the deal will however be determined by the effectiveness with which the EU deals with competing issues on the environment, economy, and social issues.

(The writer is a PhD scholar. He can be contacted at aditya72910@gmail.com. This article is an abridged version of the research paper titled The Politics of the European Green Deal: Environmental Sustainability and Economic Transformation;  DOI: https://doi.org/10.29070/4wae1607).