While difficult, aligning the European Union's response to current and future crises with the long-term objectives of the Green Deal is not a matter of choice, but a necessity.

Ahead of the EU elections in June, the European Green Deal has arrived at a critical juncture. Faced with an increasingly contested international environment and a seemingly never-ending series of interconnected and intertwined crises, the EU must work to keep the Green Deal on track. This is not optional – achieving climate neutrality is the only pathway towards future European prosperity within planetary boundaries.

This Discussion Paper explores how this should be done by studying the impact of Europe's responses to past and ongoing crises on the green and just transitions. Specifically, the Paper comprises four case studies:

The 2008 global financial crisis and the ensuing European sovereign debt crisis.
COVID-19 pandemic.
European energy crisis following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
European and global food crisis.

These case studies are analysed to understand the reasoning, tools, and methods for short-term EU crisis solutions that keep Europe on track to carbon neutrality by 2050. In addition, the paper has recommendations for the next Commission to improve European crisis preparedness and transform crises into moments and catalysts for positive change following Green Deal objectives.

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