Brussels
16 June 2020
The European Green Party successfully concluded its 31st Council, the first one ever held completely online*. Two landmark resolutions were adopted by the Green parties from all across Europe. A holistic resolution (“Coronavirus Recovery: Let's build a better tomorrow!”) outlining the Greens’ ambitions and demands for the post-coronavirus recovery, and a complementary resolution on climate neutrality (“Green recovery towards climate neutrality”), reasserting the necessity to envision interlinked responses to both the coronavirus and the climate crisis.
The resolution “Coronavirus Recovery: Let's build a better tomorrow” is a far-reaching text that demonstrates not only the ambition of the Green movement to help shape a resilient recovery that works for all people, but also the unity of the European Greens family regarding the necessary course of action. Around the pillars of solidarity, a Green recovery and a social Europe, it lays out concrete policy proposals that the Greens will fight for in the coming years.
The resolution “Green recovery towards climate neutrality” anchors the Greens’ future climate actions into a set of principles. These principles will guide our actions and policies around the six core sectors we must address to fight the climate crisis: energy, buildings, transport, industry, agriculture and carbon sinks.
Evelyne Huytebroeck, co-chair of the European Green Party comments:
“These resolutions were built around the core pillars of the Green values: the ambition for a sustainable future, solidarity, and pro-European ideals. These values have been put to the test during the crisis: late signs of European solidarity, the European project being questioned in the most affected member states, calls to postpone climate action to relaunch the economy as quickly as possible. Both resolutions are providing a clear roadmap for the European Green Party and our member parties for ambitious and effective action in these unprecedented times. A just, fair and Green recovery is a recovery that protects the people and nature, empowers citizens and allows all of us to work together in a spirit of solidarity!”
Thomas Waitz, co-chair of the European Green Party and MEP comments:
“This COVID-19 crisis has shown the importance of well-funded public health care systems and the support of care workers. We call on the EU Commission and national governments to invest in a Green recovery to fight the other crisis we are currently in: the climate crisis. This is not a question of ideology or choice, but a responsibility we all have towards our future generations.
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Find all the adopted resolution here.
*Background: The European Green Party held its 31st Council online for the first time, between June 10-13. It included keynote speeches by leaders of the Green family, debates and exchanges with academics, politicians and activists from all over the world. Guests included the EU Commissioner for the Environment and Ocean, Virginijus Sinkevičius; activists, journalists and academics like Bill McKibben, Vandana Shiva and Amy Goodman. Resolutions on the Coronavirus recovery, Climate Neutrality, the protection of gig-workers and on the Black Lives Matter movement were adopted.
Valentin Dupouey
Head of the Communication Unit / Press Officer
E valentin.dupouey@europeangreens.eu
T +32 (0) 485 93 99 26
European Green Party
Rue Wiertz 31, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
www.europeangreens.eu
