Green Solutions for More Crisis-prepared, Resilient and Safer Societies

Europe and the EU need a Green vision for crisis preparedness to build resilient, equitable, and sustainable societies that can withstand climate, health, economic shocks and security challenges. From natural disasters such as floods, wildfires and droughts to infrastructure failures and hybrid and cyberattacks, crises situations and security threats are increasingly disrupting our societies and undermining our wellbeing.

European societies are also increasingly threatened by authoritarianism, the erosion of democracy, and the amplification of disinformation and divisive content including the spread of hate speech, which further undermine resilience and social cohesion.

As the changing geo-economic and geopolitical landscape challenges Europe’s ability to defend its values, fundamental rights and freedoms, Green solutions that are ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable are needed to improve our societies’ resilience and crisis preparedness. Additionally, Europe must pursue strategic autonomy in energy, the supply of rare earths, medicines, and technology, including digital technologies. It must reduce dependence on external powers such as authoritarian Russia which has started a war of aggression and attacks its neighbours, China now a systemic rival, and the United States, which is a decreasingly reliable partner on security and standing up for international law.

While other political movements propose turning inwards and slowing down necessary reforms in the name of safety and security, the Green approach focuses on renewal, cooperation, community and unity in ensuring civilian security and the ability to manage crises.

Our disaster prevention and emergency aid systems must be prepared and equipped to respond to current and future global challenges and threats that do not stop at national borders. This includes sufficient resources for emergency response and assistance, transnational infrastructure for shared European disaster response, effective measures for preparing for crises and mitigating their impacts in advance, and building societal resilience faced with longer-term developments impacting our societies.

Our approach integrates human security, environmental and social sustainability, and democratic accountability, and goes beyond an outdated security concept that focuses solely on military aspects. However, it recognizes that for some European countries, especially those facing direct military threats, maintaining strong hard security remains a critical priority. Our approach is about the creation of robust solidarity and mutual support structures to face diverse risks and threats. Beyond responding to threats and crisis response, we also focus on root causes, such as the climate crisis, fossil-fuel dependence, and the imperialist, expansionist policies of some countries.

The Green approach has a strong emphasis on community-based safety strategies, investing in local services and their resilience, and building the necessary infrastructure that can withstand various shocks. This includes nature-based resilience measures that also strengthen territorial defence, such as wetland restoration, erosion prevention and biodiversity recovery.

The European Green Party:

Recognizes the need for European cooperation, policies and transnational infrastructure to build safer and more resilient societies. The EU and neighbouring partners must be able to respond to crises and build up the resilience of people, communities, infrastructure and institutions.
Emphasizes the need for strong community-based safety strategies and volunteering structures to build resilience and contribute to assistance and recovery in crisis situations. A top-down approach risks ignoring the realities on the ground. Governments must support and cooperate with local and regional authorities, civil society and non-governmental organizations to establish European networks and processes for civil protection, cooperation and dissemination. Governments should use the expertise and experience of these organizations and their volunteers in decision-making processes.
Calls for strengthened systemic measures against foreign information manipulation and interference, including robust civic and digital literacy frameworks and public information efforts, to enhance the resilience of our societies against mis- and disinformation, as well as ensuring strong protection for journalists, whistleblowers and democratic civic space.
Calls for investment in infrastructure so it can withstand different shocks and develop early warning systems. We must guarantee access to water, food, electricity, heat and other basic supplies during crises. Contingency plans must be designed to ensure smooth implementation, while mobility and the logistics for transporting essential goods needs to be ensured, including alternative routes to bypass damaged infrastructure. Governments must ensure necessary reserves to guarantee emergency supplies. Our energy supply must be built on sustainable and modern solutions, including modular network design, that can survive shocks and support fast recovery e.g. from blackouts. Decentralized energy grids and micro-grids should be prioritized to prevent blackout cascades.
Demands greater and sustained investment in local services and their resilience, including emergency response, healthcare and social services to ensure availability in crisis situations. Our civil protection must be reinforced through funding throughout the EU, including for public shelters, emergency training, and crisis communication systems. The EU should coordinate European supply algorithms, common procurement and coordinated stockpiling while also facilitating cooperation. Designated funding such as RescEU and the Interreg programme should enable regions and communities to cooperate transnationally and build shared infrastructure.
Highlights the need for substantial investments and protective measures for climate and environmental protection, to prevent and mitigate threats and natural disasters. Currently, local policies in many places replace green areas with concrete worsening the ability to combat the impact of climate change in certain neighbourhoods. On the other hand, nature-based solutions can help prevent flooding and erosion, rebuilding biodiversity helps promote healthier environments, and restoring wetlands can act as barriers for defence purposes.
Insists that those who cause damage must be held responsible. Stricter legislation is needed to hold corporations and companies accountable for actions that harm the environment and the climate. Preventive measures, such as the EU’s Nature Restoration Law, must be expanded and consistently applied throughout the EU.
Recognizes that resilience also means a resilient and sustainable economy that works within planetary limits. Economic resilience requires strengthening our strategic autonomy. As well as investing in technological innovation, we must invest in energy autonomy to limit and end our exposure to and dependence on fossil fuels.
Demands investment in cybersecurity and the information landscape, which must be safeguarded through investment in independent, open-source digital infrastructure to defend our democratic institutions against manipulation and cyber threats, without compromising civil rights. This includes building a sovereign European tech industry and ensuring that key data remain stored within EU territory. The EU must adapt public procurement procedures to ensure investments in European companies and networks, thereby decreasing dependencies on the US and other countries with weak safeguards for data and customer protection.
Demands that the EU and European governments support the United Nations as the forum for global cooperation and promote diplomacy, peacebuilding, and global cooperation based on international law while also being ready and adequately resourced to defend its values and everyone living in Europe. We must build international partnerships to promote our values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. This includes strengthening the International Criminal Court and international human rights mechanisms. A strong Europe must also recognize the strategic importance of the EU’s Eastern border and uphold the central role of international law in the European security architecture.
Demands that the EU to reinforce the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, particularly the RescEU wildfire fleet, through more resources and greater cooperation and solidarity between member states. The EU must possess a supranational wildfire fleet to intervene quickly in case of large wildfires unmanageable by Member States alone. These firefighting aircrafts should be built in Europe to feed the demand for European products and stimulate the European industry, we call on local requirement criteria in public procurement.
Recognizes that people who face socio-political disadvantages more often because of their characteristics such as age, race, sex, disability, gender or socio-economic status are disproportionately affected by crises such as climate-related disasters, economic shocks, and conflicts, which intensify existing gendered and structural inequalities. All EU crisis-preparedness policies must therefore centre feminist and intersectional principles, by integrating the specific needs, rights, and perspectives of these groups into all stages of prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.