Integrating Environmental Justice into EU Policymaking

Abstract

We live in times of crisis. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, all environmental signals were turning red in Europe and globally: 1 climate change is accelerating, biodiversity is disappearing at a breathtaking pace, resources are being overconsumed and wasted, people are dying prematurely from pollution exposure and four out of nine planetary boundaries have been exceeded (nitrogen and phosphorus cycles; biosphere integrity; climate change and land system change) (Rockström et al. 2009;Steffen et al. 2015). On the social front, inequalities are rising, 2 and although From 'Beyond GdP' to the envIronmental actIon ProGrammes: strenGths and Weaknesses oF the eu's aPProach to the Well-BeInG transItIon An Uncertain and Long Overdue RevolutionIn 1997, the EU enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty of Amsterdam its determination to promote sustainable development. As early as in 2001, the Commission published a communication entitled 'A Sustainable Europe for a Better World: A European Strategy for Sustainable Development' (European Commission, 2001).In 2007, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Club of Rome, the OECD and the WWF hosted a high-level conference entitled 'Beyond GDP'. In his opening speech at the conference, the then Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, called for a 'breakthrough' in promoting alternative visions of wealth and development. In 2009, the Commission adopted a communication containing a roadmap entitled 'GDP and Beyond: Measuring Progress in a Changing World', aimed at complementing GDP with high-level indicators on environmental protection, quality of life and social cohesion. This communication referred to 'clean environment' among other indicators that need to be developed, as well as establishing a comprehensive environmental index and promoting quality of life and well-being.In 2010, in the aftermath of the financial crisis and the great recession, the Europe 2020 strategy aimed at 'smart, sustainable and inclusive growth'. However, the pieces of legislation concerned missed the opportunity to address social and environmental injustices, as well as to truly challenge the concept of 'growth'.After the 2014 European elections, as the issue of sustainable development was gaining momentum, the Commission, then presided by Jean-Claude Juncker, was to commit to the SDGs. Indeed, in 2015 the world leaders had adopted the '2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development', 17 SDGs and 169 related targets in order to integrate the three dimensions of sustainable development. The set of goals range from the eradication of poverty and inequality to the protection of the environment and climate and the sustainable use of resources.