Following today’s vote in the European Parliament, the Systems Transformation Hub congratulates Ursula von der Leyen on her second term as President of the European Commission. "This reappointment provides an encouraging and hopeful sign to advance the EU’s green and social agendas as represented in the European Green Deal," said the leaders of the Hub, which include Sandrine Dixson-Declève of Club of Rome, Kirsten Dunlop of Climate-KIC, Eva Gladek of Metabolic, Janez Potočnik of Systemiq, and Stientje van Veldhoven of World Resources Institute.
In a time of political instability both within and beyond Europe’s borders, von der Leyen’s confirmation provides a signal of stability and continuity for EU Member States, governments, industry, investors and citizens. Her reappointment underscores the importance of the European Green Deal (EGD) as her flagship initiative during her previous term and the continued North Star for Europe. Current alarming climate and biodiversity data highlight the urgency for sustained environmental action and systemic change to ensure Europe’s society and economy operate within planetary boundaries.
However, the leaders of the Systems Transformation Hub express concerns about potential backsliding on environmental standards and climate legislation as some EU leaders question their importance, as discussed in late June by the EU Council during the Strategic Agenda deliberations. Simplification and optimisation of the EGD is necessary in order to enable the speed and scale of implementation and investment needed but this should not be confused with a reduction in ambition. A strong EGD is Europe’s greatest hope for future competitiveness and socio-economic development. "We remind EU leaders and institutions that the Green Deal, and its broad environmental and social agenda, is critical for a sustainable future. Its overarching goal is to lead the way to become climate-neutral by 2050 through a just transition that enables all citizens and communities to thrive, from families to farmers and SMEs”, said the Hub leaders. The EGD’s package of policies, adopted under President von der Leyen's previous mandate, builds resilience to future shocks and stresses across the EU’s economic and governance systems. “Implementation is not easy and requires foresight and a systemic approach to be outlined under von der Leyen’s leadership by the new Commission. We stand ready to support the new European Commission and Member States in this important task through applied systems thinking and integrated policy design," the Hub leaders stated.
The Systems Transformation Hub is a pioneering partnership of organisations that helps bring systems thinking and acting to European policy-making. It consists of the Club of Rome, Climate-KIC, Metabolic, Systemiq and World Resources Institute.
Image credit: CC-BY-4.0: © European Union 2019 – Source: EP