Action against environmental pollution through a healthy, green and just recovery in Europe

Stauffer, A

ISSUE: With the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Union (EU) is faced with an unprecedented crisis with huge effects on every aspect of our society. As European countries start easing lockdowns, discussions on recovery and investment plans pick up the pace, but it will be vital not to repeat mistakes of the past but focus on a healthy, green and just recovery to increase overall health preparedness and resilience in the face of future pandemics. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM: The recovery from the COVID-19 crisis is the litmus test how serious policy-makers are about the EGD, if they take it as the blueprint for rebuilding or continue investing into yesterday's polluting industries and economies. While at EU level there is a strong commitment for the EGD to be the principle in economic recovery, decisions and bailouts at national level do not necessarily follow suit (yet). One of the actions that are needed is defining conditions for all recovery and investment money being spent. RESULTS: With EU Commission President's van der Leyen's proposal for a 750 billion EUR recovery fund was presented end of May (1). The European Green Deal (EGD) proposal (2) shows that European Commission has understood the importance of a healthy planet for healthy people. If successfully implemented, this deal has the potential to achieve major health improvements in the near term while reducing the growing health risks from climate change (3,4), air and chemical pollution. LESSONS: Shifting from a polluting to a green and healthy economy, with the European Green Deal at the core is possible. The EGD already foresees a zero pollution ambition for the EU: preventing all pollution in order to protect health is the much needed goal upon which European and national leaders must base all recovery actions. KEY MESSAGES: A green recovery can give the necessary financial support for upgrading and modernising our cities and sustainable urban planning. Through the imminent recovery decisions, policy-makers need to seize the historic opportunity to reduce the pressure on the planet’s and people’s health.