#eroupe

The world has a very small carbon budget left to stay below a 2°C temperature rise.

The scientific community has warned us that, if we surpass this carbon budget, the world will head towards more intense heat waves and wildfires, severe droughts and mass migrations. For a 66% chance to stay “well below” a 2°C increase, we need to completely decarbonize our economies in about a decade.

The good news: it’s feasible. At least on paper. Two Green New Deal (GND) proposals, one in the US and another in the European Union, lay out a plan.

The sobering news: whether our politicians seriously try to tackle the climate crisis depends on the next few months alone. And you have a role to play.

It heavily depends on what happens with these proposals on both sides of the Atlantic. Your voice can influence this significantly.

What are the US and the European Green Deals?

At heart, both versions of the GND offer a vision, a North Star of where we need to head towards to create a world that protects nature, people and wildlife.

Both proposals are based on the principle of intersectionality. The climate crisis is a social crisis, which means that the factors that are destroying our planet are the same that are harming people.

For example, through extreme climate events that affect soil fertility, affecting those with less means most. Or income inequality, which makes it harder for low-income families to get back on their feet after a climate-change induced hurricane, flood or wildfire.

Both Green Deals agree that in order to do this, we have to restructure our economies; transition them away from fossil fuels, while investing into green jobs, green infrastructures and regenerative agriculture.

The fact that the GND proposals even exist and that they have gained political momentum gives us a once-in-a-century chance to curb climate change while making the system work for us, instead of mainly benefitting the 1%.

Because of the economic and political influence of both the US and the European Union, the success or failure of a GND could tip the scales when it comes to staying under a 2°C temperature rise.